Revenge Of Talon
by MetroXLR99
Summary: The horrible truth about Zoe Aves father is revealed when a sociopathic villain using FOF-like Tech who ALSO has a personal history with La Voltura appears.    while Talon is after Zoe, he's ALSO interested in the Loki Mask  "Dark Horse MASK references"
1. Fallen Eagles

El Tigre copyright Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua

The MASK copyright Dark Horse Comics/New Line Cinema

* * *

><p>Revenge Of Talon<p>

Chapter 00: Fallen Eagles

[Miracle City, Polica HQ]

a Policia Trooper Unlocked The Door To The Jail Cell.

"Alright, Rivera...  
>Your Bail has Been Payed, Your Free To Go"<p>

El Tigre Walked Out The Jail Cell With a Sour Face.  
>As He Was Lead Outside...He Was Greeted By Frida, Zoe And Chris.<p>

"You Guys Payed To Get Me Out?" Asked Tigre

"Actually, We Had To Borrow Half Of The Bail Money From Your Grandfather." Said Zoe

"I Still Can`t Believe You Got Arrested For Robbing a Bank.  
>I Thought You Were "Good Enough" Not To leave Any Clues." Said Chris<p>

"I DIDN`T!, I WAS FRAMED!"

"By Who?"

"THE GOLDEN EAGLE TWINS, THAT`S WHO!" Shouted Tigre

Several Polica Officers Laughed At Him.  
>The Four Teen Left And Walked Out The Building.<p>

"stupid policia..."

"Well, They Do Have a Point.  
>The Idea Of The Twins Robbing a Bank Seems Far-Fetched, Manny.<br>Aren`t Those Guys Suppose To be "Honest Superheroes"?" Asked Chris

"THAT`S JUST WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO THINK!  
>Their Really Sneaky, Lying, Dirty, Low-Down, No Good Supervillains!<br>They Pull Dangerous Pranks, Commit Crimes And Shift The Blame On Other Villains!  
>Then, They Fight The Villains And Take All The Credit...THEIR EVIL!"<p>

"If That`s True, Then WHY Did They Frame You?"

"Because I Once Tried To Expose Them For The Fakes That They Are!"

Zoe Turned To Chris.

"Chris, Manny Is Telling The Truth...  
>I used To Date Carlito, And They ARE a Couple Of Con Artists."<p>

Chris Eyed Her.

"You used To Date One Of Them?

Zoe Nodded.

"I Was Young...Attracted To The "Bird Theme".  
>But, I Broke Up With Him When I Found Out He Endangered Innocent People."<p>

"Who Else Did You Date Before Me?"

Zoe Kicked The Dirt.

"django."

Chris Had Wise Eyes.

"OF THE DEAD!"

"Don`t Ask..."

Chris Sighed.

"Alright, Fine...Let`s Get Back To Basics, Here.  
>The Golden Eagle Twins Are Villains Pretending To Be Heroes...<br>And, They Framed My Brother When He Tried To Expose Them During a Bank Robbery That They Commited"

Chris Narrowed His Eyes.

"I Think it`s Time Somebody Gave Those Two a "TIME OUT"."

"Oh, Really?...Like Who!" Said Frida

Chris Crossed His Arms And Smiled.

"YOU?"

"No...But, I Know Someone Who Can."

Chris Reached Into his Backpack And Took Out His Wooden Mask.  
>He Put It On And With a Thunderclap, Spun Into a Green Tornado.<p>

When He Stopped, He Had a Green Face, Ginger Hair And Wore a Yellow Zoot Suit.

"TIME TO BEAT THOSE PUNKS AT THEIR OWN GAME!...But, First.

Mask Gave Zoe a Kiss.  
>Then, He Zipped Over To El Tigre.<p>

"So...Which Way Did They Go, George?, Which Way Did They Go?"

"They Always Hang Out In Their Blimp"

"Gee, Thanks ALOT, George, Thanks ALOT!"

Mask Twirled Around And Changed Into Superman.

"This Looks Like a Job For SUPER-MASK!"

Mask Flew Away At Sonic Speed.  
>Tigre, Frida And Zoe Just Watched Him Disappear.<p>

"Huh...Weird." Said Frida

[Meanwhile, Somewhere In The City]

a Teenaged Boy And Girl In White And Gold Costumes Flew Around And Started Spray Painting On The Walls Of Many Buildings.

"HEE HEE HEE!  
>This Outta Improve City Hall`s Ugly Color." Said Carlita<p>

Carlito Snickered As Well.

"And, Don`t Forget To Sign It!"

"Oh, Yeah..."

Carlita Signed The Name "PUMA LOCO"

"Never Liked That Old Geezer, Anyhow..."

The Two Siblings Flew Away And Headed Towards Their Zeppelin.

"I Wonder How Much Money The City Will Offer For Us To Capture Puma Loco..." Said Carlita

"Who Cares!  
>It`s ALWAYS a Large Amount."<p>

The Two Teens Laughed Cruely.

Soon, They Reached Their Flying HQ.  
>They Pressed a Button, Which Opened a Hatch And Allowed Them Inside.<p>

The Entire Room Was Filled With Treasure And Weapons...  
>Most Of Which Was Stolen, Others Were "Gifts" From People They "Helped".<p>

As They Walked Towards The Control Panel...The Chair Turned, Revealing The Mask.

"WELL, IT`S ABOUT TIME YOU SHOWED UP!  
>I`VE BEEN WAITING FOR HOURS FOR YOU TO ARRIVE!" Said Mask, Holding Up a "Cuckoo Clock Wrist Watch"<p>

The Twins Were Shocked And Enraged At This.

"WHO THE HECK ARE YOU AND HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE!"

"Oh, Of Course...Introductions."

Mask Leaped Up And Zipped Over To Them.

"I Am THE MASK!  
>Clown Prince Of Chaos, Harliquin Of Mischief...And Miracle City`s Resident Superherovillain.  
>I Was Just In The Neighborhood And I Felt Like Dropping By For Some Fun And Games!"<p>

Carlito Grinned.

"Fun, Eh?  
>Well, Okay...Let`s Play a Game: Stand Over There."<p>

Mask Zipped Over To Where Carlito Was Pointing.

"LIKE THIS!"

"Perfect..."

Carlito Presses a Button On His Suit.  
>a Trapdoor Under Mask Opens And Mask Just Stands In Mid-Air For Awhile.<p>

He Then Looks Down And Does a DOUBLE TAKE, His Enlarged Eyes Stretching Out Of His Head.  
>Maks Then Holds Up a Sign That Reads: "help."<p>

He Then Falls.  
>Carlito Closed The Door.<p>

"Poor Sap...I Almost Feel Sorry For Him."

Carlita Chuckled.

"Yeah...ALMOST."

Mask Is Standing Right Next To Them.

"tsk-tsk-tsk...too bad."

After a Few Minutes, The Twins Notice Mask Is There.

"WHAT THE-!  
>HOW DID YOU GET BACK UP HERE!" Exclaimed Carlito<p>

"Clearly, You Have Never Watched Looney Tunes..."

Mask Reaches Into His Pocket And Pulls Out a Black, Circular Cloth.

"That Was a Neat Game There, Pal...  
>But, Now It`s YOUR TURN!"<p>

Mask Tosses The Cloth, Which Turns Out To be a "Portable Hole".  
>It Slips Under Carlito...And He Falls Through It.<p>

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

THUD!

"CARLITO!"

WHOOOOOOOOOSH!

Carlito Flies Up Using His Jetpack.  
>He Walked Back Through The Hatch And Glares At Mask.<p>

"Now, your Not Sore Are Ya?"

Carlito Charged After Him.  
>Mask Then Places His Foot On His Portable Hole And Slides It Over To Carlito...Who Falls Through It, Again.<p>

"YOOOOOOW!  
>YOU RACKIN-FRACKIN-POOMBERATING-BRACKIN-CLACKIN-NO GOOD-BLASTED !"<p>

THUD!

"HEY!, WHAT`S THE BIG IDEA, YA CREEP!" Snapped Carlita

"Hey-Hey-Hey, NO FLIRTING, TOOTS!...I have a Girlfriend."

"WHA!-DOH!-EEH!...GAAAAAAAAH!"

"Watch The Blood Pressure, Sister...You Might Pop That Throbbing Vein Of Yours."

Carlito Walks Back Through The Doors Again.

"HEY!, Your Back!"

Carlito Marched Over To Him.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!  
>I`M GONNA BREAK YOUR SCRAWNY NECK I WILL!"<p>

"Wow...You And Your Sister Need Some SERIOUS Anger Management."

The Twins Approach Him.

"Seriously, WHY SO TENSE!  
>Especially When You Have All This Neat Stuff, EH!"<p>

Mask Twirls Around And Turns Into Martha Stewart.

"I Simply LOVE What You have Done With The Place!  
>Video Game Arcade, Weapons Display And Loads Of Treasure...All Contained In a Wonderful Blimp."<p>

Carlita Stared Blankly.

"ZEPPELIIIIIN!"

Mask Twirls Around And Turns Into "Led Zeppelin".

"You RANG?"

The Twins Gritted Their Teeth At Mask, Who Zipped Backwards To The Control Panel.

"Come On, Guys...Let`s Not Fight."

Mask Secretly Flips a Switch On The Control Panel, Activating The Zeppelin`s Loudspeakers.

"Afterall...You guys Are HEROES!  
>ANd, Heroes Aren`t Suppose To Kill People."<p>

Carlito And Carlita Laughed Out Loud.

"Well, Then The Jokes On You, Stupid!: WE`RE NOT REALLY HEROES!"

Outside The Zeppelin (Which Was Hovering Over Downtown)  
>Several People Were Gathered Under The Zeppelin...And Were Listening To This.<p>

"NOT REALLY HEROES!  
>But, What About All Those Crimes You Stopped?"<p>

"HA!  
>How Do You Think Those Crimes Happened In The First Place!<br>We Secretly Commit Crimes, Then Show Up Dramaticly To Stop Them!  
>Heh Heh, We Even Frame Villain For Our Crimes Just To Collect On The Bounty!"<p>

"Not To Mention Attack The City On Purpose With Our Zeppelin And Claim It Was a "Malfuction"." Added Carlita

Mask Grinned.

"If That`s True, Then I Guess That Whole Fiasko With El Tigre Robbing The Bank..."

"That`s Right!: We Robbed It.  
>El Tigre Tried To Stop Us, But We Beat Him Easily And Pinned The Blame On Him!<br>In The End: We Got The Reward And He Got Some Jail Time..."

"Sheesh...Sounds Like You Two Are a Couple Of CON ARTISTS." Said Mask

"YEP!  
>You Summed Us Up In Two Words: Con Artists". Said Carlito<p>

Carlita Then Laughed.

"Not That It Was All That HARD To Fool EVeryone In Miracle City!  
>These People Are SO DUMB And SO GULLIBLE, They Would Believe Christmas Came In July If We Told Them!"<p>

"Yeah...  
>We Played The Idiots Of Miracle City Like a Harp!" Chuckled Carlito<p>

The Twins Then Approached Mask.

"So, You See...We Have NO PROBLEM With Killing You." Said Carlita

"What Do You have To Say About THAT!" Said Carlito

Mask Smiled a Sly Grin.

"Just One Thing..."

Mask Held Up a Microphone.

"You Mind Speaking a Little LOUDER?  
>I Don`t Think They Heard You In China..."<p>

The Twins Then Noticed Their Zeppelin`s Loud Speakers Was ON.  
>Mask Zipped Over, Opened a Window And Looked Out While Holding The Microphone.<p>

"TESTING, TESTING...UNO-DOSE-TRES!" Said Mask, Whose Voice Was Amplified By The Speaker.

The twins Looked Out With Shocked Expressions.

"Now, Let`s Listen To What`s NUMBER ONE On The Charts..."

Mask Rewinded a Tape And Repeat It Over And Over.

"WE PLAYED THE IDIOTS OF MIRACLE CITY LIKE A HARP!  
>WE PLAYED THE IDIOTS OF MIRACLE CITY LIKE A HARP!<br>WE PLAYED THE IDIOTS OF MIRACLE CITY LIKE A HARP!"

The Large Crown Of People Started Booing At The Twins.

"Wow...Look At All The ANGRY FACES!"

Mask Zipped Over To The Twins.

"You Guys Better Run, I See a Man In The crowd With a Rope."

BOOM!

"Oops!, My Mistake...It Was a Bazooka."

The Twins Glared At Mask.

"Well, Time To Go!"

Mask Stretched Out His Arm And Grabbed The Top Of The Zeppelin.

"TTFN: Ta-Ta, For Now!"

Mask`s Body Stretches And Zips Out Of The Window, Leaping Onto The Balloon.  
>He Bounced Around On It, Whooping And Hollaring Like a Kid At Chuckie Cheese.<p>

"WHOOOOOOOOOO!  
>HEY!, THIS IS FUN!"<p>

Suddenly, The Twins Fly Up And Hover Above Mask.

"YOU LITTLE FREAK!" Shouted Carlita

"YOU RUINED US!" Shouted Carlito

The Twin Locked The Boots Together And Their Bodies Glowed Bright Gold.  
>Mask Just Smiled, He Reached Into His Pocket And Pulled Out...a Pin Needle.<p>

He Held It With His Finger And Thumb And, With An Outstretched Arm...Raised It Over The Balloon.

Carlito Shook His Head "No", While Mask Shook His Head "Yes"  
>After a Few Minutes Of This, Mask Shook His Head "No". While Carlito Shook His Head "Yes".<p>

Finally, Carlito Broke Away From Carlita...Causing Her To Fall.  
>He Snatched The Needle And Plunged It Into The Balloon Of His Zeppelin.<p>

"CARLITO!"

Carlito Froze In Shock.

POP!

The Balloon Began To Deflate.  
>Mask Twirled Around And a Jetpack Appreared, Strapped His His Back.<p>

"SO LONG!"

Mask Flew Up And Away From The Doomed Balloon.  
>The Golden Eagle Twins Activated Their Own Jetpacks...But, The Straps Broke And Took Off On Their Own.<p>

The Twins Looked At Each Other.  
>They Grabbed Each Other, Then Dropped Down With Their Zeppilen.<p>

"!"

Mask Watched As They Fell.

"You Know...Those Straps Didn`t Exactly Break." Said Mask, Holding Up Scissors

THUD!

The Twins Climbed Out Of The Deflated Balloon.

"WE`RE ALIVE!"

Suddenly, a Large Crowd Of People Surrounded Them...Glaring With Angry faces.

"we`re dead..."

Suddenly, a Whistle Was Blown.  
>Mask Walked Through The Crowd And Approached The Twins.<p>

"Here...Sign This Paper."

The Twins Sign a Paper That Mask Handed Them.

"What is It?" Asked Carlito

"Oh, Just Your "Last Will And Testiment"  
>According To this: I GET YOUR BLIMP!"<p>

"ZEPPI-  
>Aw, Forget It..."<p>

Mask Stepped Away From Them.

"Don`t Wanna Get Any Blood On My Suit, I Just Had It Cleaned."

Mask Blew His Whistle And The people Attacked The Twins, Punching And Kicking Them.  
>At That moment, Mask Was At a Stand That Read:<p>

STUFF TO HIT THE #$%# TWINS WITH!  
>99 Cents Each!<p>

"HURRY!, HURRY!  
>GET YOUR WEAPONS AND BLUNT OBJECTS, HERE!" Began Mask, Speaking Like a Salesman<p>

"WE`VE GOT IT ALL FOR YOU "VIOLENT NEEDS"...  
>BASEBALL BATS, CLUBS, SACKS FULL OF HAMMERS AND MALLETS!"<p>

a Man Walks Up To Mask`s Stand.

"I`ll Take The Mallet, Sir."

Mask Hands Him a Wooden One.

"Here You Are, Sir...  
>Order Now, And You Get a Metal one FOR FREE!<br>Guarenteed To Pack TEN TIMES More "Ouch!" Than The Wooden One...and, i outta know."

The Man Pays Mask, Who Hands Him a Metal One.  
>Several Other People Form a Line And Take The Objects Mask Gives Them.<p>

Mask Chuckles.

"Now THIS Is What I Call a Profit!"

As The People Beats The Twins, Mask Takes Out a Camcorder And Begins Filming It.

"This Outta Be a Shoo-In For "Mexico`s Funniest Home Videos"!"

Eventually, The Battered And Beaten Eagle Twins Crawled Away From The Angry Mob And Escape Into The Sewers.

"Well, Guess The Show Is Over...Or IS IT!"

Mask Does a Stance And Zips Away, Running At Super Speed.

[Later, Somewhere In Central Park]

The Golden Eagle Twins Lift Up a Manhole Cover And Crawl Out Of The Sewer System.  
>Their Uniforms Was Torn And Stained From The Sewer Water, And Their Helmets Were Cracked...<br>Plus They Were Also Pretty Beaten Up From The Angry Mob Earlier.

"That Stupid Mask!  
>This WHole This Is HIS FAULT!" Shouted Carlita<p>

"Yeah!  
>Let`s Find That Freak And MAKE HIM PAY!" Shouted Carlito<p>

They Looked And Saw Mask Strolling Down teh Park.

"LOOK!  
>THERE HE IS!" Said Carlita<p>

"LET`S GET HIM!"

They Charged After Him.

Meanwhile, Mask Was Singing Happily To Himself.

"~Here We Go Gathering NUTS IN MAY, NUTS IN MAY, NUTS IN MAY...  
>Here We Go Gathering NUTS IN MAY, So Early In The Morning..."<p>

Mask Pauses.

"Or...Is That "Afternoon"?

ZZZZAP!

a Laser Beam Passes By, Narrowly Missing Mask.  
>He Turns And See`s The Golden Eagle Twins Running After Him.<p>

"Oh, Look...It`s the "Not-So-Golden" Eagle Twins."

Mask Chuckled To Himself.

"Time To Have Some Fun!"

Mask Zipped Away And Dived Into a Hole In The Ground.  
>The Twins Chase After Him And Kneel Over At The Hole.<p>

"COME ON OUTTA THERE, GREEN FACE!"

Mask Pops His Head Out, Now Resembling "Bugs Bunny"

"Ehhhhh...What`s Up, Dorks?" Said Mask, Munching On a Carrot

Mask Honks Carlito`s Nose And Zips Back Inside The Hole.  
>Teh Twins Duck Their Heads Inside The Hole, Leaving Their Rears High In The Air.<p>

Mask (Now Back To Normal Form) Came Out Of Another Hole.  
>He Walked Over, Holding a Wooden Plank Behind Him.<p>

"If I Dood It, They Get a Whuppin..."

Mask Smiles a Sly Grin.

"I Dood It!"

Mask Proceeds To Whack The Twins Butts With The Plank, Then Runs Away At Super Speed.  
>The Twin Get Up And Jump Around, Holding Their Rears In Pain.<p>

[Later]

The Twins Ran Deeper Into The forest, Gripping Laser Guns In Their Hands.  
>They Soon Reached a Split In The Pathway, Where Two Signs Were Posted...<p>

One Pointed Left And Read: "THAT-A-WAY!"  
>The Other Pointed Right And Read: "THAT-A-WAY, TOO!"<p>

The Twins Sighed.  
>They Realised Mask Must Of Put The Signs There Just To Annoy Them.<p>

"I`ve Got An Idea..." Began Carlita

"What?"

"Let`s Split Up And Take both The Paths...  
>We`ll Cover Twice As Much Ground And ONE OF US Must Find Him, Eventually!"<p>

Carlito Nodded.

"Good Plan."

The Twins Each Took The Different Paths.  
>Once They Were Gone, Mask Stepped Out From Behind One Of The Signs.<p>

"HA!  
>My "Divide And Conquer" Plan Is Working..."<p>

Mask Grinned.

"Now...For The Next Phase Of the Plan."

Mask Twirled Around a Bit.  
>When He Stopped, He Looked Like Carlito.<p>

Mask Held Up a Mirror.

"Perfect Likeness!"

Mask Then Noticed Something.

"Uh-Oh...Better Fix That Face!"

Mask Grabbed His Green Face And Stretched It a Bit.  
>When He released It, The Green Coloring Was Gone...Now a Normal, Flesh Color.<p>

"Perfect!  
>Now I Look Exactly Like That Loud Mouth."<p>

Mask Threw The Mirror Away.

"Now, For Th Voice..."

Mask Starting Harmonising His Voice.  
>Soon, He Achieved Carlito`s Voice And Grinned.<p>

"Okay...Now, For "OPERATION: SIBLING RIVALRY"!"

Mask Zipped Away In his Carlito Disguise.

[Later]

Carlita Was Walking Down The Path.

"That Stupid Green Head Must Be Around Here, SOMEWHERE!"

"YO, SIS!"

Carlita Looked And Saw "Carlito" Running Towards Her.

"CARLITO!  
>I Thought You Were Suppose To be On the Other Path!, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!"<p>

"I Just Wanted To Give You a Present."

"Really?" Said Carlita, a Little Excited

"Carlito" Raised Up his Laser And Fired At Carlita, Knocking Her Into a Tree.  
>He Then Ran Off, Laughing Like a Maniac.<p>

Carlita Narrowed Her Eyes In Anger, Gritting Her Teeth.  
>She Got Up And Marched Back In Teh Direction "Carlito" Went.<p>

[Later]

Mask Zipped Back To The Signs.

"Now, For a Change..."

Mask Twirled Around Again.  
>THIS TIME, Assuming The Form Of Carlita (Minus The Green Face)<p>

"Better Get That Voice Right."

Mask Once Again Harmonised His Voice, Til` He Sounded Just Like Carlita.  
>He Then Zipped Away And Ran Down The Other Path.<p>

[Later]

Carlito Was Walking Down The Path.

"ooooh, where is that no-good, dirty-"

"YOO-HOO!"

Carlito Looked Over To See His "Sister" Running Towards Him.

"Carlita?  
>What Are You Doing Here?, Shouldn`t We Be Taking Different Paths!"<p>

"Yep!  
>I Just Wanted To Give You Something..."<p>

"WELL, GIVE IT TO ME!" Said Carlito, Excited

"Okay..."

"Carlita" Raised Up a Laser Gun And Fired At Carlito, Knocking Him Flat.

"HA! HA! HAAAAAAAA!"

"Carlita" Ran Away, Leaving carlito Dazed And Angry.

"why that no good..."

Carlito Got Up And Ran In The Direction "Carlita" Was Going]

[Later]

Mask Zipped Back To The Signs And Quickly Twirled Around.  
>He Was Now In his Normal Form And Leaped Upwards, Sitting On a Branch.<p>

"OOH!, I DON`T WANNA MISS THIS!"

Carlito And Carlita Marched Back From The Two Paths And Faced Each Other.  
>They Glared Into Each Others Eyes, Gritting Their Teeth.<p>

"YOU NO GOOD-"  
>"DIRTY, LOW DOWN-"<p>

The Two Siblings Began To Viciously Punch And Kick One Another.  
>Mask Just Laughed Out Loud At This, he Laughed So Hard he Fell Out Of The Tree.<p>

"BOY, OH BOY!  
>I REALLY GOT YOU GUYS!"<p>

The Twins Stopped Fighting And Looked At Mask.  
>They Soon Realised They Had Been Tricked And Marched After Him.<p>

"uh-oh..."

The Twins Pounce Mask And Begin To Attack.

"I GOT HIS LEG!" Said Carlito

"I`VE GOT HIS ARM!"

The Twins Pulled...But Only Succeeded In Knocking Each Other down.  
>Mask Was Standing From Afar, Just Snickering At Them.<p>

"Oh, You`ve REALLY Got Me, Good..."

Mask Zipped Away And Ran Out Of The Park, The Twins Followed.  
>Mask Proceeded To Run At Super Speed Down The Highway, "Beeping" Like a Roadrunner.<p>

The twins Ran Over And Stole a Motercycle.  
>Carlita Drove The Cycle, While Carlito Rode Behind Her As They Chased Mask.<p>

As Mask And The Twins Sped Down The Road At Top Speed...Time Suddenly Paused.

a Subtitle Appeared Below The Mask.

THE MASK (WACKIUS GREEN-HEADUS)

Time Resumed.  
>Suddenly, Times Paused Again.<p>

a Subtitle Appeared Below The Twins.

THE GOLDEN EAGLE TWINS (BRATIUS SIBLINGIUS)

Time Resumed.  
>This Time, The Chase Continued.<p>

Mask Zoomed Through The Road, Leaving a Trail Of Dust Behind Him The Twins Followed The Best They Could...But, Were Still "Dragging Behind"

Mask Approached a Tunnel And Ran Right Through It.  
>The Twin Followed Him, But...<p>

WHACK!

The Twin Colided With a Solid Surface Revealing The "Tunnel" To Be Painted Onto a Wall.

As The Twin Lay On Teh Ground, Their Stolen Bike In Pieces.  
>Mask Ran Back Through The "Tunnel" And Ran Over The Twins, Leaving "Skid Marks" On Their Butts.<p>

"BEEP! BEEP!" Said Mask As He Zipped Away

[Later]

Mask is Standing By a Post Near The Street.

"I Wonder If Those Twins Are Still Subborn Enough To Keep Coming After Me..." Said Mask

ZZZZZZZAP!"

a Laser Beam Hits The Post.  
>Mask Looks And Sees The Twins Running After Him.<p>

"YEP!  
>Their Stubborn Enough."<p>

Mask Runs Inside a Building, The Twins Follow Him.  
>Eventually, Mask Locks Himself In a Room, While The Twins Try And Break The Door Down.<p>

"WE`VE GOT HIM NOW!" Shouted Carlita

Mask Gets An Idea.  
>He Starts To Imitate The Sound Of a Police Siren, Followed By Tires Screeching.<p>

"ALRIGHT, GARCIA!  
>LET`S TAKE THE BOYS AND SURROUND THE HOUSE!" Said Mask, Imitating a Policia Trooper`s Voice<p>

The Twins are Conviced This Is real And Start To Panic.  
>Mask Slams teh door Open (Hitting Carlito) And Acts Worried.<p>

"JEEPERS, FELLAS!  
>IT`S THE COP!<p>

"HIDE ME!  
>HIDE ME!" Said Carlita<p>

Mask Leads Carlita To a Nearby Stove.

"Here!  
>Hide In Here!"<p>

Mask Opens The Stove Door And Carlita Gets Inside.  
>As Mask Closes It, Carlito Runs Over.<p>

"HIDE ME!  
>IT`S NOT FAIR!, YOU GOTTA HIDE ME, TOO!" Shouted Carlito, Practicly Sobbing<p>

Mask Chuckles To Himself.

"I Must me Dreaming...It Couldn`t Be THIS EASY!"

Mask Opens The Stove Door And Carlito Gets Inside.  
>Mask Slams The Door Closed, Then Begins His "Act".<p>

Mask Zips Over To The door And Begins To Ram Into It With His Shoulder.

"OPEN UP!  
>THIS IS THE POLICIA!" Shouted MAsk In His "Policia Trooper" Voice<p>

Mask Forced The Door Open.

"ALRIGHT, MASK!  
>Where Are The Twins, Where Are They Hiding!"<p>

Mask Zips Over To The Stove, Guarding The Door.

"THEIR NOT IN THIS STOVE!"

Mask Zips Away And Resumes His "Policia Trooper" Role.

"AH-HA!  
>So, Their Hiding In The Stove, Eh!"<p>

Mask Zips Back To teh Stove.

"Would I Turn On The Gas If The Twins Were In There?" Said Mask, Turning On The Gas

Mask Zipped Away.

"Eh, You MIGHT, Mask, You MIGHT..." Said Mask In His Police Voice

Mask Zipped Back To The Stove.

"Well, Uhhh...  
>Would I Throw a LIGHTED MATCH In There If Te Twins Were In There?"<p>

Mask Lights a Match, Opened The Stove Door And Throws It In.  
>He Quickly Closes It, Containing An Explosion From Inside.<p>

Mask Zips Back Away.

"Alright, Mask.  
>You Conviced Me...We`ll Go Look For The Twins, Someplace Else."<p>

Mask Pretends To Walks Away, Then Slams The door Shut.

"Okay, Guys...  
>You Can Coe Out Now, Their Gone."<p>

The Twins Emerge From The Stove.  
>Sizzling, Covered In Soot And a Little Dazed.<p>

Just then, Policia Squad Cars Approached The Building.  
>Mask Looked Out And Saw Several Policia Troopers Getting Out.<p>

"ALRIGHT, GARCIA!  
>LET`S TAKE THE BOYS AND SURROUND THE HOUSE!" Said a Trooper<p>

"JEEPERS, FELLAS!  
>IT`S THE COPS!" Exclaimed Mask<p>

The Twins Run back Inside The Stove.  
>The Door Is Pounded, Until a Policia Trooper Breaks It Down.<p>

"ALRIGHT, MASK!  
>Where Are The Twins, Where Are They Hiding!" Said The Trooper<p>

Mask Zipped Over To The Stove, guarding It.

"There Not In this Stove!" Said Mask, With a Sly Smile On His Face

"AH-HA!  
>So, Their Hiding In The Stove, Eh?"<p>

"Now, Look...  
>Would I Turn ON The Gas If The Twins Were In There?" Said Mask, Turning On The Gas<p>

"Eh...You MIGHT, Mask, You MIGHT."

"Well, Uhhhh...  
>Would I Throw a Lighted Match In There If The Twins Wer-"<p>

"OH, NO YOU DON`T!" Shouted The Twins As They Ran Out The Stove

The Twins Were Now On Their Knees, Pleading With The Trooper.

"PLEASE, TAKE US WITH YOU!  
>WE CAN`T TAKE THAT SCREWBALL ANYMORE!" Exclaimed Carlita<p>

"WE DID IT!  
>WE CONFESS!<br>ARREST US!, ARREST US!" Shouted Carlito

[Later]

The Twins Were Hauled Off Into a Truck, Handcuffed And All.  
>They Were Giggling Madly AT One Another.<p>

"HE`S GONE!  
>WE`RE FREE!, FREE!" Exclaimed Carlita<p>

Mask Zipped over To them.

"Hey...  
>Just To Show There Is No Hare Feelings, Here..."<p>

Mask Handed The Twins a Cake...With TNT Sticks At Candles.  
>The Twins Took The Cake, Which Exploded...Splattering Cake All Over Their Faces.<p>

The Twins Began To Cry Like Babies.  
>Teh Troopers Slammed The Doors Shut And They All Dreove Off.<p>

Mask Rubbed His hands And Smiled.

"Well, I`d call This a GOOD DAY!"

Mask Thought a Bit.

"Hmmmmm...I Wonder What PUNISHMENT Is In Store For Those Twins."

[Later, At The Jail]

a Trooper Approached Carlita And Carlito`s Jail Cell And Opened It.

"Golden Eagle Twins...  
>As Per The Judge`s Orders, You Are Being Released In The Custody Of Your PARENTS To Serve Out Your SIX MONTHS Of Community Service"<p>

The Twins Looked At Their ANGRY Mother And Father And Gulped.

"oh..."  
>"crud."<p> 


	2. Rivera Family Bonding

El Tigre copyright Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua

The MASK copyright Dark Horse Comics/New Line Cinema

* * *

><p>Revenge Of Talon<p>

Chapter 01: Rivera Family Bonding

[Casa Del Mariachi, a Few Weeks Later]

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"COMING!"

Maria Walked Over Towards The Front Door.  
>She Opened It, Then Frowned At WHo It Was.<p>

"rudolfo..."

Rudolfo Was In His Grey Work Suit (Without The Mask This Time) Grinning Stupidly At Her.

"Hello, Maria...I Was Wond-"

"No, I Will Not Go On a Date With You." Said Maria In a "Matter-Of-Fact" Tone

"Oh...Well, That`s Too Bad.  
>BUT!, For Once...That Isn`t Why I Am Here."<p>

Maria Eyed Rudolfo.

"Oh?"

"You See...The Thing Is...well..."

Maria Raised An Eyebrow In Suspicion, Her Eyelids Half Closed.

"Rudolfo...We Don`t Have All Day."

"CAN CHRIS SPEND TIME WITH ME FOR THS DAY?"

Maria Stared At Him Blankly, He Eyes Like Pin Needles.

"Well?"

Maria Finally Glared At Him.

"I Don`t Think That Is Such a Good Idea, Rudolfo..."

"Why Not!"

Maria Reached Into His Coat Pocket ANd Pulled Out His White Pantera Mask.

"THIS IS!" Said Maria, Pointing At The Luchador Mask

"Oh, Maria...COME ON!"

"Darn It, Rudolfo!  
>This Is The Main REASON I Broke Up With You: You Can`t Stay Away From DANGER!<br>And, I Don`t Want Chris Exposed To The Same Kind Of Danger You Subject Manny To!"

"Come On, Maria!  
>There Is No Way he Can Be Hurt...HE`S THE MASK, REMEMBER?"<p>

Maria Sighed.

"Yes...And, I Try To Forget That."

Rudolfo Was Now Bent On One Knee.

"Maria, Just Give Me a Chance!  
>I Promise That I Will Look After Chris Like He Was My Own Son..."<p>

"Giving Your Track Record With Manny...That Isn`t a Very Good Arguement, Rudolfo." Said Maria Sternly

"Maria, Please...Just Trust Me.  
>No Harm Will Come To Chris: THIS I SWEAR!"<p>

Maria Eyed Rudolfo...Who Gave Her His Best "Puppy Dog Eyes"  
>She Sighed Sharply, Then Handed Rudolfo Back His Mask.<p>

"Just Make Sure Your Father Doesn`t Spen Some "Quality Time" With Chris.  
>I Don`t Want His Criminal Ways Rubbing Off On Him...Especially If the MASK Is Involved."<p>

"IT`S A PROMISE!"

At that Moment, Chris Walked By And Saw Rudolfo Down On One Knee At Maria.

He Sighed, Then Chuckled.

"Sheesh...You Don`t Give Up, Do Ya?" Said Chris Sarcasticly

Maria Sighed.

"Chris...Rudolfo Wants To Spend Time With You, Today."

"TODAY!" Exclaimed Chris

"Yes, Today." Said Maria

"B-BUT...I`m Suppose To Meet Zoe Later This Afternoon!"

"Sorry, Chris...Your Just Going To have To Re-Schedual.  
>I`m Sure Zoe Will understand You Have To Do "Family Business".<p>

Chris Eyes Her.

"Family?  
>I barely Even Know This Nut!"<p>

It Was At This Moment That Rudolfo Decided To "Jump In".

"ALL THE MORE REASON WHY WE SHOULD SPEND TIME TOGETHER, MIJO!"

"chris." Said Chris, Bluntly

"Huh?

"Maria Gets To call Me "Mijo".  
>But, I`m Just "Chris" To You..."<p>

Rudolfo Sighed.

"Your Not Gonna Make This Easy For Me...Are You?"

Chris Crossed His Arms, a Smug Smile On His Face.

"Considering I have To Cancel My Date Because Of You...NOPE."

Rudolfo Sighed.

"Alright, Fine...Let`s Go."

Chris Walked Out The Door With His "Would Be" Father.

[Meanwhile, At The Aves House]

RING! RING! RING!

Zoe Answered Her cellphone.

"Hello?"

"Zoey?  
>It`s Me, Chris..."<p>

"OH, HI, CHRIS!" Said Zoe, Her Voice All Cheery

"(Sigh)...Z, I Have Some Bad News."

"What Do You mean?" Asked Zoe, a Little Worried

"My Mother`s Idiot Ex-Husband Just Showed Up At Home...  
>He Says He Wants To Suddenly Spend Some "Quality Time" With Me So, I`m Gonna Have To Put Out Date On Hold For The Moment..."<p>

"Oh...I See." Said Zoe, a Little Disappointed

"Y-Your Not MAD...Are You?"

"Oh, NO-NO...Of Course Not!  
>I Understand You had No Choice...Family IS Family, Afterall."<p>

Zoe Could Hear Chris Sigh Deeply.  
>Apparently, He Didn`t Like This Anymore Than She Did.<p>

"Well, I Promise I`ll Make It Up To You...somehow."

"It`s Alright...Tommorrow, Then?"

"It`s a Date."

Zoe Made a Smooch Sound.

"love you..."

"Yeah...love you, too."

Chris Hung Up.  
>Zoe Lay Down Her Phone And Sighed.<p>

Carmelita Poked Her head In Her Room.

"You Alright, Mija?"

"just fine..." Said Zoe In An Angry Voice

"uh-oh...i know that look." Said The Young Woman

"Chris Canceled Your Date, Didn`t He?"

"Yes...And I have Your Idiot Ex-Boyfriend To thank For That."

Carmelita Narrowed Her Eyes.

"pantera..." Said Mrs. Aves In a Dark Voice

[Meanwhile, Elsewhere]

Chris Hung Up His Phone.

"So...How Did She Take It!" Asked Rudolfo

"Better Than I Thought...But, I KNOW She`s Furious." Said Chris

"Well, Don`t Worry...She`ll Get Over It.  
>If There Is One Thing I Know Of...It`s How To Women Think!"<p>

Chris Eyes Him.

"This Coming From The Guy Whose Wife Left Him..."

Rudolfo Looked AT Chris.

"Oh, Your Just Full Of Jokes, Aren`t You?"

Chris Smiled.

"You Should See The "Other Side" Of Me."

"An EXCELLENT IDEA!"

"What?"

"Chris, I Want Us To Fight Crime Together...Just Me And THE MASK!"

"I Don`t Think That`s Such a-"

Rudolfo Put On His Luchador Mask.  
>He Then Ripped Up His Grey Suit, Now Dressed In a White Coat With Black Pants.<p>

"WHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITE PANTERAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Said Pantera, Doing a Heroic Pose

Pantera Faced Chris.

"Now, You Go!"

"I REALLY Don`t Think You Want Me To Do this...  
>Sometimes I Have No Control Of My Actions As The Mask."<p>

"NONESENSE!  
>I Know In My Heart That You Are a TRUE HERO...Therefore, THE MASK Has The "Heart Of a Hero"!"<p>

Chris Grinned.

"You Don`t Know Him Very Well...Do You?"

Pantera Eyes Him.  
>Chris Sighed Deeply.<p>

"FINE!  
>Don`t Say I Didn`t Warn You..."<p>

Chris Took The Green Wooden Mask Out Of His Backpack He Put It On And In a Green tornado...Turned Into THE MASK.

"SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSMOKIN!" Said Mask

"ARE YOU READY FOR SOME CRIME FIGHTING, PARTNER!

Mask Smiled a Sly Grin.

"OF COURSE I AM...But, First."

Mask Zipped Over And Gave Pantera a Wedgie.

"GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"That`s For Ruining My Date, "White Pansy"!"

Pantera Pried His Underwear Off His Head And Fixed His Pants.

"Yes...Well, I Suppose I Deserved That."

"First Thing you`ve Said ALL DAY That Makes Sense!"

"Now, I Will Try And Run Slow So You Can Keep-"

Mask Instantly Ran At Super Speed, Leaving Pantera Behind.

"up." Said Pantera, a Little Awestruck

White Pantera Ran After Him At Super Speed.  
>He Soon Caught Up With Mask, Who Snicked AT Him.<p>

"Not Bad...For An OLD GUY!"

"Your Not Too Bad Yourself, mask."

Mask Raised His Eyebrows Up-And-Down, a Sly Smile On his Face.

"But, Can You Do THIS!"

Mask Increase In Speed And Disappeared In a Trail Of Dust.  
>White Pantera Stopped And Stared In Shock At How Mask Just Covered Several Miles In Less Than a Second.<p>

"wow...I Can`t Go That Fast!"

[Later]

Pantera Runs Up To a Local Street.  
>Mask Was Leaning Against a Lamp Post, Fileing His Nails.<p>

"What Kept You So Long, Slowpoke?"

Pantera Was Huffing And Puffing, Completly Out Of Breath.

"S-Sorry...I`m Not At Young As I Used To Be."

"Got That Right..."

Pantera Soon Regained His Strength And Stood Tall.

"So...Is There Any Evil For Us To Fight!" Asked Pantera

"Just That." Said Mask, Pointing Across The Street

Pantera Looked And Saw Some Zombies Sucking On The Heads Of Some Brainiacs At An Electronics Store.

"SANTA MARIA!  
>GENERAL CHAPUZA! AND HIS ARMY OF ZOMBIES!" Exclaimed White Pantera<p>

"Thanks For Clearing That Up For Us." Said MAsk Sarcasticly

White Pantera Approached Chapuza.

"CHAPUZA!  
>UNHAND THAT NERD!"<p>

Chapuza Stopped Sucking On The Kid`s Head.

"Just Try And Make Me, White Pantera..." Said The Zombie General

"TWO PLUS TWO IS...FISH!" Shouted The Nerd

White Pantera Charged After Chapuza.  
>But, Several Zombies Appeared And Guarded Him.<p>

POW! POW! POW!"

Pantera Was Knocked Down, Beaten Up And Battered.  
>Mask STrolled Over To Pantera And Smile.<p>

"You Done Being a Human Punching Bag?"

"N-Not...Just...Ye-"

The Zombies Grabbed Pantera And Started Pouning Him Again.

"MASK!...HEEEEEEEEEELP!"

"Guess That`s My Cue..."

Mask Zipped Over To Chapuza And His Zombies.  
>He Twirled Around And became a Doctor.<p>

"Blue Skin...Yellow Eyes.  
>(GASP!) WE`RE LOSING THE PATIENT!"<p>

Mask Takes Out Some Electrical Devices.

"CLEAR!"

Mask Placed The Devices On Chapuza, Sending Several Thousand Volts Through His Body.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP!

Chapuza Was Now Charred, Covered In Zoot.

"DARN IT!  
>he didn`t make it..."<p>

Chapuza Growled At Him.

"WHY YOU DIRTY!"

Mask Zipped Over To Him.

"Say, Just What Kind Of Zombies Are You Guys Anyway!  
>Aren`t Suppose To Be MINDLESS And STUPID, And Go Aroun Eating People!"<p>

"That Sir...Is a Commmon Myth Fabricated By Hollywood!  
>Zombies Aren`t Stupid, Nor Do We Eat The Flesh Of Others...<br>We Feed On The ELectrical Impulses Of Brains By Sucking On People`s Heads."

Mask Eyed Him.

"So...You Guys Are Like TICKS?"

"Yes, We`re Like Tic-

"HA! HA! HA! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Mask Laughed At Chapuza Wildly The Zombies Glared At Him.

"HEY!, CUT IT OUT!"

Mask then Looked At a Book Entitled: "How To Fight Zombies".

"HE IS IGNORING US, FATHER!" Exclaimed Che Chapuza

a Lightbulb Appeared Above Mask`s Head, Then Disappeared.

"I`VE GOT IT!"

Mask Spun In a Green Tornado An Decorated The Area To Look Like a Dance Floor.  
>Mask Then Face Chapuza And His Zombies, His Zoot Suit Covered In Sparkles.<p>

"I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DANCE-OFF!"

Chapuza Glared At Him.

"Let`s Do This..."

The Zombies Began To Do The "Skeleton Dance".  
>Then, Did Some Moves That Removing And Re-Attaching their Limbs And Heads.<p>

Once They Were Done, They Faced Mask.

"TRY AND TOP THAT!  
>No One Can Dance Like The Zombies Can."<p>

Mask Smiled.  
>He Stood Back And Did His Own Dance.<p>

This Involved Doing Tornado Spins, Transformations...And Removing/Attaching His Limbs.

Once He Was Done, He Faced The Zombies.

"Piece Of Chocolate Cake, General Cha-Cha!  
>But, NO ONE Can Do "Spins" Like I Can...Let`s See You Do It!"<p>

The Other Zombies Stood Back As Chapuza Stepped Up.  
>He Began To Spin Around...Which Resulted In His Body Falling Apart.<br>His Limbs, Torso An Head Flew Everywhere...His Head Bounce Around And Lay In Front Of Him.

Mask Twirled Aroun And Became a Golfer.

"FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!"

mask Raised His GIANT Club And-

WHACK!

Sent Chapuza`s Head Flying.

"!"

Mask Turned Into a Baseball Player And Run Forward.

"I`VE GOT IT!  
>I`VE GOT IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"<p>

Mask Caught Chapuza`s Head With His Glove.

"And, Now...Your Gonna "Get It."

Mask Drew Out a Baseball Bat.  
>He Tossed Chapuza`s Head Up And-<p>

CRACK!

Sent Chapuza`s Head Flying...Again.

"!"

Che Chapuza Ran Up.

"I`vE GOT YOU, GRANDFATHER!"

Chapuza`s Head Rammed Into Che...Buring Them In The Ground.  
>Mask Zipped Over And Slammed a Tombstone Into The Ground That Read: "HE GOT IT!"<p>

Both Chapuza`s Burst Through The Ground And Glared At Mask.

"CHE!  
>GET HIM!"<p>

Che Ran Over To mask, He Leaped Up And Bit His Head.

"HA! HA!  
>Now, My Grandson Shal Drain Your Brain Until You Become a Zombie LIKE US!" Laughed Chapuza<p>

Mask Grinned.

"Not Usless I Have NO BRAIN!"

Mask Flipped His Head Open Like a Lid.  
>Then, Reached In And Took Out a Green Brain.<p>

He Dropped His Braid Down his Pants Pocket, Then Shut His Head Closed.  
>Shortly After...Che Released Maks`s Head And Couched Violently.<p>

"NO FAIR!  
>YOu CHEATED!, GRANDPA, HE CHEATED!"<p>

The Other Zombies Gather General Chapuza`s Parts And Put Him Together.  
>Chapuza`s Body Walked Over And Put His Head Back On His Shoulders.<p>

The General Then marched Over To Mask.

"Hand Over The Brain, Stupid!"

"Try And Take It!" Said Mask With a Smug Smile

Chapuza Reached Into mask`s Pants Pocket.

SNAP!

"GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Chapuza Jerked His Hand Out...Which Had a Bear Trap Clamped Onto It.  
>The General Pulled It Off And Dug Into His Pocket, The Whole Time Pulling Randsom Stuff Out.<p>

"Funny Eye Glasses, Plastic Batman Mask, Whoopie Cushion, Custard Pie Squeakie Toy, Indianapolis 500 Trophy, Giant Emerald, Picture Of Zoe Aves..."

Chapuza Pulled Out a Bazooka.

"What the.."

"Buddy...  
>You Can Keep Picking My Pockets For YEARS, But You`ll Never Find My Brain." Said Mask<p>

Chapuza Growled.  
>He Jerked His Hand Inside His Pocket.<p>

"AH-HAAAAAAA!  
>Now, I`ve Got-"<p>

Chapuza Pulled Out a Stick Of Dynamite.

"oh, Sh-"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Mask Walked Away.  
>He Reached Into His Pocket And Put His Brain Back In His Head.<p>

"Okay, Now I`m Bored..."

Mask Zipped Over To Chapuza.

"Mind Telling Me How To Defeat You and Your Zombie Gang?"

"I`M NOT TELLING YOU OUR WEAKNESS!"

Mask Glared AT Him.

"Oh, Yes You Are!"

"OH, NO I`M NOT!"

"OH, YES YOU ARE!"

"OH NO I`M NOT!"

"OH, NO YOUR NOT!"

"OH YES I AM!

"OH, NO YOUR NOT!"

Chapuza Grabbed Mask By His Tie.

"Now, Listen You Green Faced Freak!  
>I`m Telling You Our Weakness And YOU ARE GOING TO LISTEN!" Shouted Chapuza<p>

"Okay, Frankenstein...I`m Listening."

"Our Weakness Is The Green Water that Flows From The Fountain At The Heart Of Zombie Town."

"gotcha..."

Mask Instantly Sped Away, leaving a Trail Of Dust.  
>It Was At That Moment That General Chapuza Realised His Error.<p>

"uh-oh..."

Mask Soon Came Back.  
>He Was Dressed Up In a Black Leather Jacket, Wore Dark Sunglasses And Wielded a Large Water Gun...Aiming It At The Zombies.<p>

"Hasta La Vista...ZOMBIES!" Said Mask In An Austrian Accent

Mask Began Spraying The Zombies With Water...Which All Fell Apart As They Got Hit.  
>Soon, Only General Chapuza And Che Chapuza Were Left...And Mask Had His Sights Set On Them.<p>

"Gotcha, Now..."

Mask Pulled The Trigger.  
>But, a Flag Popped Out That Read: "SQUIRT!"<p>

Mask Looked At His Gun.  
>a Meter Had a Caption That Read: "YOUR DRYER THAN A SUNBATHING CAMEL IN THE SAHARA, BUB!"<p>

"Aw, Darn...I`m Outta Juice."

Mask threw The Gun Away.

"But, Don`t Worry..."I`LL BE BACK!"

Mask Zipped Away.  
>Later, a Shadow Was Cast On The Two Zombies.<p>

"oh-"  
>"no..."<p>

CRASH!

SPLASH!

a Giant, Water Balloon Fell On Them.  
>Sending Water Splashing Everywhere..."<p>

Mask Returned To Normal And Brushed His Hands, Smiling.  
>White Pantera Then Walked Over To Him.<p>

"I`ll Never Understand How You Are Able To Do that, Mask!"

"And, I`ll Never Tell You."

"Well, Those Villains Will Think Twice Before Messing With US!"

"US?  
>I DID ALL THE WORK!<br>The Only Thing You Contributed Was MEDICAL BILLS And Being a Pretty Good PUNCHING BAG."

"Well, Yes...I Guess I Was Beat Up Pretty Badly.  
>BUT!, I GOT BEATEN UP WITH HONOR! Like a True Hero Does!"<p>

Mask Sighed.

"oy...not the "true hero speech." Complained Mask

As Pantera Started Ranting, a Gold Metal Arm With a Black Claw Grabbed Mask And Reeled Him Into a Dark Alley.

Mask Looked And Saw Grandpapi Rivera.

"Hello, Crazy Grandson..." Said Grandpapi, Who Released Mask.

"Hi, Prune Face!" Said Mask

"PRUNE FACE!  
>WHY YOU DIRTY-(Pause), I Mean...Good One, Grandson"<p>

"So, What Brings You Here?"

"I Hear You Fighting Crime With Rudolfo..."

"Actually, I Fought Crime...  
>All "Rudy" Did Was Make a VERY GOOD Impression Of a Punching Bag."<p>

"Yes, I Know...  
>ANYWAY...I Was Wondering If You Feel Like Hanging With Me.<br>We`ll ROB THE BANKS AND DO FUN STUFF!, Not Like "Superheroing."

"I Actually Like Being a Superhero, Thank You very Much."

"I`ll Give You a Cut Of The Stealings." Said Grandpapi In a "Sing-Song" Voice

"But, Not THAT MUCH!"

"ALRIGHT!"

Grandpapi`s Metal Sombrero Sucked Him Inside And Transformed Into a Mech Suit.

"PUMAAAAAAAAAAAAA LOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Puma Opened His Red Visor, Grabbed Mask And Place Him Inside The Mech.  
>The Visor Closed And The Mecha`s Rocket Boots Activated...Flying Off.<p>

[Later, At a Museum]

Puma Loco Landed Near The Miracle City Museum.

"It Gives Me The Goosebumps Just Thinking Of The Priceless Artifacts Stored In There!"

Mask Slipped Out The Mecha.  
>Puma Loco Shifted His Mecha`s Claw Into a Rocket Launcher.<p>

"Not Very "StealthY"..."

"You Got Better Idea!"

"As a Matter Of fact, I Do."

Mask Zipped Away And Ran Towards The Museum.  
>He then Twirled Around And Turned Into a DRILL SARG.<p>

Mask Approached The Museum`s Security Guards/

"ATTEEEEEEEEEEEEEENTION!"

The Guards Suddenly Stood Up Straight.

"EVERYONE MARCH TO THE LEFT!"

The Guards Marched Left.

"NOW, EVERYONE MARCH TO THE RIGHT!"

The Guards Marched Left.

"NOW, KEEP MARCHING AROUND IN CIRCLES!"

The Guards Marched Around In Circles.

Puma Loco Approached Mask.

"Very Good..."

"It`s My Thing." Said Mask, Returning To Normal

The Two Ran Inside The Museum.  
>They Spend The Next Few Hours Taking Paintings And Sculptures...<p>

Soon, Everything Was Stored In Puma Loco`s Mech Suit.

"This Has Been a Very Successful Day!" Said Puma Loco

Mask Frowned.

"Aw, Shucks...It Doesn`t Seem Right To Rob This Place Blind."

Mask Then Grins.

"Sooooooooo..."

Mask Run At Super Speed, Moving In a Blurr Of Motion.  
>He Soon Came Back...The Museum Was Now Filled With "Copies" Of The Stolen Artifacts.<p>

Copies That Resembles Mask Himself.

"There...Now I feel Better.  
>Besides, I Like These ALOT Better."<p>

Mask And Puma Loco Ran Out The Museum.

"KEEP MARCHING, BOYS!"

The Guards Continued To March Around In Circles.

Mask And Puma Loco Ran Off.

"HA!  
>WE HOME FREE!"<p>

Just Then, El Oso Appeared.

"PUMA LOCO!  
>GIVE ME ALL YOUR LOOT, MANG!"<p>

Puma Loco Activated His Weapons.

"NEVEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!

"okay." Said Mask, Handing Oso a Large Sack

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!"

"HA!  
>THIS WAS EASIER THAN I THOUGHT!"<p>

Oso Ran Off.

"MASK!  
>WHY YOU GIVE HIM OUR STOLEN LOOT!"<p>

"I Didn`t..." Said Mask, Who Pulled Out a Sack From Puma Loco`s Mecha

"THIS...Is The Loot."

Puma Loco Eyed Him.

"Then...What Did You Give To Oso?"

Mask reache Into his Pocket And Took Out a Stick Of TNT.

"See This?"

"Yeeeeeeeeees..."

"That Sack I Gave Oso Was FULL OF THESE!  
>And, He Should Figure It Out In: Three...Two...One."<p>

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

"OOOOW!, MAAAAAANG!" Shouted Oso From Afar

Puma Loco Began To Cry.

"It...Is a Thing Of BEAUTY."

Puma Loco Hugged Mask With His Mechanical Arms.

"YOU MAKE ME SO HAPPY!  
>Never Before Have I Seen So Much Evil...<br>The Stealings, The Deception, The "RE-VEEEEEEEEEEENGE!"

Mask`s Teeth Was Grinding, While His Eye Were Bulging Out.

"crushing...NOT BREATHING!" Said Mask In a Hoarse Voice

Suddenly, a Foot Stomped.

"PAAAAAAPIIIIIIIIIIII!"

Puma Loco looked To See White Pantera Glaring At Him.

"GAAAAAAAAAH!  
>RUDOLFO!, I Uhhhhh...Didn`t See You There." Said Puma, Who Dropped Mask<p>

Pantera Started Yelling In Spanish.

"AYE CURUMBA!  
>I Am TRYING To Teach Mask To Do Good, And WHAT ARE YOu DOING: Teaching Him To Do BAD!"<p>

"WHAT TEACH!  
>He Do Everything Himself..."<p>

"Uhhhh...Guys?"

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" Shouted Pantera And Puma In Union

As The Two Rivera Men Argued, Mask Just Walked Away.  
>Unknown To Him...a Robotic Falcon Was Spying On Him.<p>

"Hmmmm...Well, It Seems My Day His Free.  
>I Wonder What I`m Going To Do Now."<p>

Mask`s Eyes Suddenly Lit Up.

"OH, OF COURSE!"

Mask Did a Stance And Sped Away, Leaving a Trail Of Dust Behind Him.

[Meanwhile, At The Aves Home]

Zoe Was Watching TV With Her Grandmother...  
>She Had a Vero SOUR Look On her Face And Didn`t Seem To Be Paying Attention.<p>

"ZOEY!  
>What Do You Want For Dinner?" Called Her Mother From The Kitchen<p>

"Ugh..." Muttered Zoe

"SHE`LL HAVE THE USUAL!" Replied Zoe`s Grandmami

"OKAY!"

Zoe Sighed.

"I Should Be On a Date With Chris Right Now...  
>Instead, I`m Stuck HERE!...Doing Nothing."<p>

"Oh, Relax Yourself, Granddaughter.  
>I Don`t Date No More, And Look I Turned Out!"<p>

Zoe Looked At her Grandmother, Then Shuddered.

"i REALLY need chris right now..."

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"I`LL GET IT!" Said Carmelita, Who Walked Out Of The Kitchen

She Walked Towards The Door And Gripped The Handle.  
>But, No Sooner Than She Did...The Door Flew Open And a Green Tornado Zipped Into The House.<p>

The Twister Zig-Zagged Around The Living Room, Sending Papers Flying Everywhere.  
>When The Tornado Stopped...The Mask Was Standing There, Straightening His Tie And Fedora.<p>

"SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSMOKIN!"

Zoe Looked Up And Smiled.

"Chris!"

"Got That Right, Sugar!  
>I Just Got Myself Some "Free Time"...<br>White Pantera And Puma Loco Are Currently In a "Squabble"...THEY`LL BE BUSY FOR HOURS!"

Mask Twirled Around And Turned Into a Frenchman.  
>He Zipped Over And Held Zoe, Balancing Her From Her Back In a Romantic Fashion.<p>

"Which Means I Have Time To Take You On a Date, Mi Amore..."

Zoe Smiled, Then Giggled a Little.

Mask Then Stood Up Straight.

"Now!  
>To Get Dressed."<p>

Mask Twirled Around And Appeared In a Tuxedo.

"And Now...For YOU."

Mask Grabbed Zoe And Twirled Her Around In a Twister.  
>He Stopped Her, And She Was In a Red Dress With Sparkles.<p>

"Now...We`re Ready!"

"Ummm...Mask?  
>I, Uhhh...Sorta Want To Go On a Date With Chris."<p>

Mask Looked At Her.

"You SURE?"

Zoe Nodded.

"Oh, OKAY!  
>But, I can`t Promise An EXCITING TIME!"<p>

Mask Grasped the Back Of His head And Pulled.  
>In a Slight Whirlwind...He Changed Back Into Chris.<p>

And Both He And Zoe Looked Normal.

"Whoa...What Happened?"

Chris Suddenly Remembered.  
>He Saw Zoe Look At Him...she Kissed Him On The Nose.<p>

"Wait Here a Minute, I`ll Go get Dressed.

Zoe Ran Off.  
>Leaving Chris Feeling Woozy.<p>

"whoa...what a girl."

"Awwwww...How Sweet." Said Carmelita With a Forlorn Look On her Face.

"yes-yes, very sweet...NOW LET ME WATCH SOME TV!" Said Grandmami Aves

[Meanwhile, Somewhere Else]

Some Men Stood In The Darkness, Watching a Video Playback On a Monitor.  
>The TV Showed Images Of Mask With White Pantera And Puma Loco From Earlier.<p>

The Men Turned Face a Man Sitting At a Desk, Hidden In Shadows.

"So, What Do You Think, Boss?"

The Man Eyed The Monitor.

"Hmmmmm...It Seems The Stories Of This "Green Faced, Zoot Suited Superhuman" Are True." Began The Man

"Such FANTASTIC Powers...Wasted On Pointless Heroics And Minor Crimes.  
>If I Had His Powers, I`d Put Them To GOOD USE...Much BETTER Use."<p>

"We`d Show You More, Boss...  
>But, He Got Away From Your "Spy-Bot".<p>

"No Matter...  
>We KNOW Where He Lives And That`s Good Enough For Me."<p>

The Man Got Up And Paced Around.

"W-WHat Are You Orders, Sir?"

The Man Eyes The Men.

"Pack Your Bags, Boys...We`re Going To MIRACLE CITY.  
>Besides...I Have Some "Family Business" To Take Care Of There.<p>

"Yes Sir, Mr. Vincent, Sir!"

Vincent Snickered.

"Come Boys...You Know Better Than That."

Vincvent Approached Then Men, He Flexed His Hand Which Had a Red Glove With Golden Claws AT The Fingers.

"Call Me...TALON."

"Y-Yes Sir, Mr. Talon, S-Sir..."

Talon Chuckled Evily.

"better..."

Talon Walked Away And Approached His Window.  
>He Looked Out Into The Cityscape Of NEW YORK CITY.<p>

"We Leave At DAWN..."

"Yes, Sir."

The Men Left, While Talon Looked On Out His Window.  
>He Smiles As He Flexed His "Claws", An Evil Look In His Eyes.<p>

"you can`t run and hide from me anymore, carmelita..." Began Talon

"this time, voltura...YOUR MINE!"

Talon Chuckled Sinisterly As The Moonlight Shined On Him Revealing a Man With Shaven Black Hair, a Thin Mustache, Dark Blue Eyes And Wearing Business Suit.


	3. Bird Of Prey

El Tigre copyright Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua

The MASK copyright Dark Horse Comics/New Line Cinema

* * *

><p>Revenge Of Talon<p>

Chapter 02: Bird Of Prey

[Miracle City, a Few Weeks Later]

Chris And Zoe Were At a Lunch Table During School, When Manny And Frida Walked Up To Them.

"HEY GUYS!  
>DIDJA HEAR THE NEWS!"<p>

Chris Looked AT Manny.

"Ummm...No.  
>What News Would That Be?"<p>

"The Mayor Is Tearing Down The GOLDEN EAGLE TWINS Statue...And Replacing It With a New One"

"Bout Time They Did...What`s The New Statue Gonna Be Of?" Asked Chris

Zoe Laughed.

"Probably Of The Mayor...He`s So Full Of Himself."

Frida Shook her Head.

"Guess Again, Aves..."

Frida Showed Them a Paper.  
>Zoe`s Jaw Dropped At What She Saw...The FLOCK OF FURY.<p>

"no...way."

"WAY!  
>The City Is Dedicating a Statue To The FOF TOMMOROW!<br>The Whole City Will Be There For The Ceremony...EVEN THE POLICIA!"

"But, WHY!  
>Why Would The City Want a Statue Of My Family!" Exclaimed Zoe<p>

"Well, That`s What happens When You Start Being a Hero, Zoey: You get RESPECT And GRADITUDE." Said Chris

"Oh, We Haven`t Done That Much..." Said Zoe

Chris Chuckled.

"Oh, Really?...  
>What About The Time Your Mom Helped White Pantera Capture Oso?"<p>

"Saved Him From Oso Is More Like It..."

"And, How About When Your Grandmother Helped The Police Capture The Mustache Mafia?"

"Yeah...AFTER Robbing Them Of Their Loot."

Chris Smiled.

"Okay...  
>What About When YOU Saved That Bus Load Of Kids That One Day?"<p>

"I Was ON THAT BUS!"

Chris Laughed.

"You Are So Modest..."

Zoe Sighed.

"sorry...  
>Guess I`m Still Getting Used To Being a Hero."<p>

"Don`t Worry...It`ll Rub Off On You."

Zoe Smiled.

"i guess so..."

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

"(Sigh)...guess it`s time to go back to class." Muttered Frida

Zoe Got Up, As Did Chris.

"Okay...Let`s Go."

As The Four Walked Towards The School...They Were Met Up With Spike, The School Bully.

"Hello, JOHNSON..." Said Spike Darkly

"Hi There, "Cactus Head"..." Said Chris With a Smile

Zoe Glared At Him.

"what do YOU want!"

"I`ve Been In Therapy With Doctor Butterman For a Month Now...And He`s Conviced Me Of Some Thing."

"Like What?" Asked Chris

Spike Got In Chris`s Face.

"Well, For Starters...He Told Me You Couldn`t Possably Be THE MASK!  
>And That What I Saw Back There Was Just One Of Mask`s Little Tricks."<p>

Chris Smiled.

"Maybe It Was...Maybe It Wasn`t.  
>What`s That Got To Do With Me?"<p>

Spike Grinned.

"It means I Can Do This Again..."

Spike Quickly Gave Chris a Wedgie.

"HEY!" Exclaimed Zoe

"PUT...HIM...DOWN!" Demanded Manny

Spike Dropped Chris On The Ground.

"HA!  
>Still a Loser As Always, Johnson..."<p>

Spike Walked Away.  
>Chris Got Up And Fixed His Pants.<p>

"You Okay, Chris?" Asked Zoe

Chris Grumbled.

"let me get back to you on that..."

Chris Walked Off And Ducked Behind a Bush.  
>Manny, Frida And zoe Watched In Confusion.<p>

"What Is he-"

Suddenly, There Was The Sound Of a Thunderclap.  
>Followed By a Green Tornado Spinning Around The Campus.<p>

The Twister Stopped And The Mask Stood There...An Angry Expression On His face.

"Okay...TIME FOR A LITTLE PAYBACK!" Exclaimed Mask

Mask Ran Past Manny, Frida And Zoe...Causing a Wind Draft From His Speed.

"Whoa...I Sure Hate To be Spike Right Now." Said Manny With a Smile

Frida And Zoe Nodded, Smiles On Their Faces.

Meanwhile, Spike Was Talking With His Gang.

"DIDJA SEE HOW I GOT JOHNSON BACK THERE!, Talk About Sweet..."

Spike`s Buddies Laughed.

However...Unknown To them, mask Had Snuck Up Behind Spike.  
>He Tied a Rope To His Underwear...Then Zipped Away, Holding The Other End.<p>

Mask Moved Up a Flaf Pole And Hung From The Top.  
>He Slipped The Rope Through a Metal Ring, Then Slid Down To The Ground.<p>

Mask Then Walked Over To a Donkey And Tied The Rope To It`s Saddle.

Mask Smiled As He Took Out a Wooden Plank And Stood Behind The Donkey.

"Now, This Shouldn`t Happen To a Dog..." Began Mask With a Smile

Mask Then Chuckled, Grinning a Sky Smile.

"Lucky Thing Spike ISN`T a Dog."

Mask Did a Stance, Then..."

SMACK!

"HEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAW!"

The Donkey Immediatly Ran At Top Speed.  
>Pretty Soon The Rope Tightened And Began To Be Pulled.<p>

"Now, That`ll Teach That Loser Who he Messing Wi-!"

Spike Was Reeled Violently By The Rope And Was Hooked Up On The Flagpole.  
>Several People Pointed And Laughed As Spike`s Underwear Was Tugged Through The Metal Ring.<p>

"!" Shrieked Spike In Pain

at that Moment, Mask Hovered Up To Spike.  
>a Helicopter Roter Spinning From His Hat Like "Inspector Gadget".<p>

"Wowsers...That Must HU-URT!"

"MASK!"

"Happy Trails, Spikey!"

The Metal Ring Broke And Spike Was Dragged Across The Street By The Donkey.  
>Spike Screamed The Whole Time...Mask Laughed As He Headed Into The Busy Highway.<p>

"Ooooh...That`s Gonna Leave a Mark." Said Mask, Landing On The Ground

Mask Then Zipped Over And Stoof Before The School Kids.

"STUDENTS OF THE LEONE!  
>translation: the miracle city high school..."<p>

The Kids Looked At him, Along With MANNY, FRIDA And ZOE.

"This Is What Happens When You Bully People...YOU GET BULLIED BACK!  
>So, Either You Guys Be Nice To Each Other...or, end up like spikey."<p>

The School Bullies And Popular Kids Trembled In feared Then Ran Away While The Nerds And Geeks Cheered Loudly, Chanting Mask`s Name.

Mask Smiled.

"Ahhhhh...It`s Good To Be KING."

"!"

Mask Looked And Saw Vice-Principal Chakal Glaring At Him.

"I Don`t Know How You Get Here...BUT, YOU LEAVING RIGHT NOW!"

Mask Zipped Over To Chakal.

"Okay, I`ll Leave..."

"GOOD!"

"Good-Bye."

"GOOD-BYE!"

Mask Handed Chakal a Cloth Tied To a Stick And a Suitcase.

"Good-Bye, Vice-Principal...Don`t Forget To Write Now!"

"Yes...Good-Bye."

Chakal Walked Away.  
>He Had Just Reached The Middle Of The road When He Realised Something.<p>

"HEY!  
>WHAT A MINUTE!"<p>

Chakal Turned And Glared At Mask...Who Waved At Him.

"WHY YOU DIRTY-

HOOOOOOOOOOONK! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!

CRASH!

a Bus Hits Chakal, Sending Him Flying Through The Air.  
>He Crashed Into a Car, Crushing It a Little.<p>

Mask Smiled As He Looked At His Watch.

"I See The Bus Is ALWAYS On Time...As Usual."

"!" Yelled Chakal In Anger

"OKAY-GOTTA-GO-BYE!" Said Mask Rapidly, Before Zipping Away

Manny, Frida And Zoe Looked Around.

"Where Did Chris Go?" Asked Frida

In a Few Minutes, Chris Walked Over To Them.

"Oh, There You Are!" Said Frida

Frida Walked Up To Chris.

"So, Chris...I`ve Been Meaning To Talk To You Abou-"

"no, frida...you can`t have my mask." Said Chris Bluntly

"OH, COME ON!  
>It`ll Just Be For Awhile..."<p>

"No."

"I`ll Get It Back To You!"

"Not gonna Happen.  
>You ALREADY Cause Enough Trouble As Yourself...<br>Do You Have Any IDEA What Kind Of Damage You Could Do As The Mask!"

"I Dunno...But, I WANNA FIND OUT!" Said Frida With a Smile

"Forget It...Your Not getting The Mask."

"COME ON, CHRIS!  
>I`ve Worn It Before!"<p>

"I Know...And, I Find That Scary Enough."

Chris Took Zoe`s Hand.

"Let`s Go, Z."

The Two Walked Off Into School.  
>Frida Crossed Her Arms And Huffed.<p>

"Manny, I have Tasted Power...AND I NEED MORE!" Shouted Frida Out Loud

"Frida-"

"When I Wore That mask...I WAS COMPLETE!  
>My Own Trouble Making Nature Combined With The Reality Bending Magic Of the Mask...<br>IT`S LIKE WE WERE MADE FOR EACH OTHER, DUDE!...I MUST HAVE THAT MASK, AGAIN!"

"Frida...Let It Go.  
>Maybe It`s Best That You Don`t Wear The Mask."<p>

"WHAT!"

"You Were a Little NUTS When You Wore It...I Should Know.  
>I`m Pretty Sure That Chris Has a GOOD REASON For Not Letting You Wear The Mask."<p>

Frida Huffed.

"fine...you win."

Frida Smirked.

"for now, anyway..."

Manny And Frida Walked Back Into The Building.

[Meanwhile, Somewhere Else]

a Man Walked Into a Dark Laboratory Somewhere...  
>The Inside Of the Lab Had Newspaper And Magazine Clippings Of the "Flock Of fury" Posted EVERYWHERE.<p>

Most Of Which Had Those Of "LA VOLTURA".

There Was Also Replicas Of The Battle Suits Of The FOF...  
>Along With Helmets and Weapons Like Grenades And Laser Guns On Some Tables.<p>

There Was Also MODIFIED Versions Of The Suits And Weapons That Were Metallic.  
>Finally, Their Was a Suit And Helmet That Was Dark Red And Gold...With LETHAL Looking Weapons.<p>

The Man Put On The Suit And Helmet, Arming Himself With The Weapons.

"Time To Make My Pressense Known..."

Talon`s Suit Hummed With Energy.  
>Slots Opened AT The Sides Of His Pack, Releasing a Silver Mist.<p>

The Mist Slowly Formed Into Dark Red And Gold Wings.  
>Talon Flexed His Clawed Gloves, Snickering Evily.<p>

He Then Reached Over And Grabbed a Paper...Which Was Announcing The New FOF Statue.

"And I Know Just How To Do It...heh heh heh."

[Later, At Central Park]

Chris And Zoe Were sitting Under a Tree, Admiring The Scenery.

"Sure Is Beautiful, Isn`t It?" Asked Chris

Zoe Just Stared At Chris.

"yes...you sure are."

Chris Looked At Zoe.

"Huh?"

Zoe Suddenly Realised What happened.

"OH!, S-Sorry...I Got "Distracted"."

Chris Smiled.

"don`t worry...happens to me all the time."

Zoe Blushed Bright Red, Hiding Her Face a Little.  
>Chris Reached Over And Brushed Her Bangs Away From her face...Showing Her Face a Little More.<p>

"You Have Beautiful Eyes, Zoey..."

"You REALLY Think So?"

"Of Course I Do."

Zoe Giggled Slightly.

"your so sweet..." Said Zoe, Who Leaned Over And Kissed Chris

Chris Licked His Lips.

"Is That...Blueberry Lip Gloss?

"Uh-Huh." Nodded Zoe

"Do You Like It?"

Chris Smiled.

"I Don`t Know...I`d Better Find Out."

Chris Kissed Zoe On Her Lips.  
>Zoe Embraced Chris As They Kised For a Few Minutes.<p>

Once They Parted, Chris Smiled.

"That Was...AMAZING.  
>And, The Lip Gloss Is Alright, Too."<p>

Zoe Chuckled.

"Oh, Chris...You Always Know How To Make Me Laugh."

"Well, I Like To See You Smile, Zoey...you should smile more often."

Zoe Looked At Him.

"Well...I`ll TRY.

Chris Then Looked At His Watch.

"Whoa...It`s Nearly Time For The Ceramony.  
>We`d Better Get Going Before We`re Late!"<p>

Chris And Zoe Got Up.

"Right, I Have To get Ready..."

Zoe Looked At Chris.

"Will...You Be There?"

"Sure.  
>SOMEBODY Needs To take Pictures For The "MARACKA." Said Chris<p>

Zoe Sighed.  
>She Never Did Like Chris`s Boss At That Newspaper Office...Who Was SO RUDE.<p>

"Well...At Least You`ll Be There.  
>It`ll Make Me a Little LESS NERVOUS When I`m Up There."<p>

Chris Gave Zoe a Kiss.

"i just want you to know that i`m proud of you, zoey..."

Zoe Smiled.

"I Only Did The Hero Thing for You, chris."

"Do You Like It?"

Zoe Smiled.

"a little..."

Zoe Began To leave.

"Bye, Chris."

Chris Waved.

"Bye, Z..."

As Zoe Walked Away, Chris Smiled.  
>Then, He Also Walked Off Towards Home.<p>

[Later, In Town`s Square]

Crowds Of People Were Gathered At a Stage, Where The FLOCK OF FURY Were Standing...  
>Along With Municipal President Rodriguez, Who Was Standing On a Tall Crate Due To his SHORT SIZE.<p>

"CITIZENS OF MIRACLE CITY!  
>It Is WIth Great Pride (and a couple thousand dollars of bribe)<br>That I Present The New Superhero Team: THE FLOCK OF FURY!"

The People Clap As The FOF Bowed a Little.

"this is so humiliating." Muttered Lady Gobbler Under Breath

"shut it..." Snapped Voltura

The President Continued To Speak.

"And, To Show How Much We Respect Their Recent Heroism...  
>We Have Dedicated a Statue Of Them In the Honor...Payed For By Your Taxes."<p>

Some Policia Officers Pulled a Large, White Drape And Revealed a Marble Statue Of The Flock Of Fury In a Battle Pose.

Everyone Applauded At This, While Photographers Snapped Pictures.

"Wow...It Looks Great!" Said Voltura

Gobbler Huffed.

"Eh...It`s Okay, I Guess.  
>But, I think I Look a Little "Chubby"<p>

Voltura Eyed Her.  
>Black Cuervo Looked over And Saw Chris In The Crowd, Snapping Pictures.<p>

She Smiled As She Waved.  
>Chris Waved Back, Then Continued To Snap Photos.<p>

"It Is The Hope Of Everyone That This Statue Will Inspire Many In The Future...  
>That Even Villains Can Be Heroes...and, vise-versa when it comes to those blasted eagle twins."<p>

People Began To Cheer Loudly.

Voltura Smiled.

"Wow...This Hero Thing Feels Pretty Good."

"BAH!  
>Don`t Tell Me Your Actually Liking This!" Complained Gobbler<p>

"Oh, Mother...Stop It!  
>You have To Admit...Being Loved DOES Feel Better Than Being Feared All The Time."<p>

Gobbler Crossed Her Arms.

"I Only Agree To This Because Your Daughter Likes The Son Of Your Best Friend!  
>If It Wasn`t For The "Stealing Loot From Criminals"...I`d NEVER Agree To This Whole Thing."<p>

Voltura Sighed.

"Oh, Stop Being Such a Buzzard, You "Bitter Old Crow"

At That Moment, Cuervo Saw An Object Approach Them From The Sky...  
>It Was Pretty far Away...So, She Wasn`t Sure What It Was Exactly.<p>

But, As It Got Closer...She Saw It Looked Like a Man In a "Bird Suit" Of All Things.

"what in the-"

Suddenly, The "Bird Man" Threw An Object.  
>It Was Round And Looked Like Ball...It Colided With a Truck And-<p>

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"

People Began To Run And Scream As Grenades Landed Everywhere...Creating Small Explosions.  
>The FOF Immediatly Activated Their Weapons And Flew Up.<p>

"LET`S GET THAT FREAK!" Shouted Gobbler

"MOTHER, NO!  
>We Have To get These People To Safety"<p>

"BUT-"

"Grandmami, Mother Is Right...These People Are More Important." Said Cuervo

Gobbler Sighed.

"stupid hero thing..."

Voltura Narrowed Her Eyes.

"Mother, Zoey...You Protect The People.  
>I`ll Go Take Care Of Our "New Friend"."<p>

"WHY YOU!" Exclaimed Gobbler

"Because You TOO OLD And Zoe Is TOO YOUNG."

Voltura Flew Off.

"i wish i was older..." Muttered Cuervo

"i wish i was younger..." Muttered Gobbler

The two Flew Towards The People...Where El Tigre And White Pantera Were ALREADY At.  
>Chris However...Was Trying To Get To An Alley So He Could Use His Mask.<p>

Voltura Flew Towards The Man In The Red And Gold Suit.

"ALRIGHT, PAL...Time To Clip your Wi-"

The Man Turned And Voltura Saw His Face.

"Hello, Carmelita..."

Voltura Stared In Shock.

"You...You KNOW ME?"

"Of Course I Do..."

The Man`s Gold Visor Retracted...Revealing His face.  
>Voltura Gasped In Shock And Horror.<p>

"no...not you.  
>It...IT CAN`T BE!"<p>

"Yes...ME!"

The Gold Visor Covered His face And He Clutched An "Egg Bomb"

"Here...CATCH!"

Talon Tossed The Grenade To Volture.  
>It Exploded, Sending Voltura Falling Towards The Ground.<p>

She Quickly Regained Her Senses And Flew Up, Narrowly Avoiding The Concrete.  
>Voltura Jetted Towards Talon, Her WRist Lasers Charged...<p>

She Fired At Him, But Talon Easily Avoided It And Flew Towards Voltura At Amazing Speed...He Rammed Into Her.

Talon Grasped Voltura By Her Wrists...Crushing Her Wrist Lasers.

"Still Relying On Those "Gas Powered Jet Packs"!  
>HA!, That`s Why I Constructed My "Anti-Gravity Harness"...It`s Faster, Silent And Requires NO FUEL."<p>

Talon Kicked Voltura Away...Causing her To Go Into a "Tailspin"  
>He Then Tossed a Grenade At Voltura`s Jetpack...It Exploded And Voltura Fell.<p>

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Happy Landings!" Chuckled Talon Cruely

As Voltura Fell, She Shut Her Eyes...But, She Didn`t Hit The Ground.  
>She Opened Them And Realised That She Was Laying On a Large Spider Web Made Of SILLY STRING.<p>

Voltura Looked And Saw Mask Dressed Up Like Spider-Man, Who Swung Over To Voltura.

"YOU HAVE JUST BEEN RESCUED!  
>Courtsey Of Your "Friendly, Neighborhood SPIDER-MASK"!"<p>

TWIP!

Mask "Web Swung" Away And Headed Towards Talon.

"WAIT!  
>MASK, DON`T!" Exclaimed Voltura<p>

But, Mask Didn`t Hear Her.  
>He Swung Over And Landed Onto Talon`s Back.<p>

"THIS IS a "NO-FLY ZONE", PAL!  
>I`m Gonna Have To Revoke Your Licence."<p>

Talon Snickered.  
>He Pressed a Button And Electrified His Suit.<p>

"EEEEEEEEEEEE-YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!"

Mask Fell.

"OKAY!  
>I`LL JUST GIVE YOU A WARNING!"<p>

THUD!

Mask Landed On The Ground, Becoming Flat On The Cracked Ground.  
>He Peeled Himself Off The Pavement And Restored Himself To a Normal Shape.<p>

Mask Twirled And Returned To His Normal Form.  
>Talon Flew Down And Hovered Above Mask.<p>

"I Just Knew You Couldn`t Resist Yourself, Mask...Your So PREDICTABLE!"

Mask Looked At Talon.

"Right...And, You Are?"

"Call Me: TALON!  
>I`m a BIRD OF PREY That Spreads Terror When Takes The Skies."<p>

Mask Rolled His Eyes.

"great...another "ego crazed" villain."

Talon Smiled Evily.  
>His Wings Shattered And Became Silver Mist.<p>

"Whoa...Cool Trick."

The Silver Mist Swirled Around And Formed Feather Shaped Blades.  
>The Blades Levitated Near Talon Like Wings, Expanded a few Feet.<p>

Mask`s Eyes Became Like Pin Needles.

"okay...this may be a problem."

Talon Yelled Out As He Propelled The Blades At Mask.  
>Mask Ran Off And Did Several leaps And Acrobatics Stunts, Avoiding The Blades.<p>

"WATCH IT, PAL!  
>THOSE THINGS ARE SHARP!, THEY COULD HURT SOMEBODY!"<p>

"THAT`S THE POINT!, GREEN HEAD!"

"HEY!  
>I`m The One You Does The Puns Around Here!"<p>

Mask Leaped Up And Began To Step Upon The Flying Blades.  
>He Then Pounced At Talon, Wielding a Large Mallet.<p>

"IT`S HAMMET TI-"

POW!

Talon Knocked Mask Down On The Ground.  
>As Mask Lay On The Ground, He Stared In Shock.<p>

"Okay, That Doesn`t Usually Happen..."

Talon`t Floating Blades Formed Back Into Wings.  
>He Flew Towards Mask, With The Razor Edge Of His Wings Pointed At Mask.<p>

"GAAAAAAAAAHH!"

Mask Quickly Twirled In a Tornado...Which Shrunk And Disappeared.  
>The Wings Struck The Ground, Impaling Into The Concrete.<p>

"WHAT!" Exclamed Talon

He Stood Up And Looked Around.

"Where Did He Go!"

Unknown To Talon, Mask Had Shrunk Down To Small Size And Was Hiding Inside His Helmet.

"(Heavy Breathing)...  
>What Am I gonna Do!, THIS GUY IS NUTS!" Said Mask, His Voice Squeaky<p>

"And, What`s Worse...I Sound Like One Of The Chipmunks!"

Talon Growled.  
>He Bashed His Helmet Repeativly...Causing a Tremor For Mask.<p>

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

Mask Fell Out And Landed In Talon`s Hands.  
>He Glared At Mask, Who Smiled Nervously.<p>

"M-My...What Big Eyes You`ve Got."

Talon Raised a Fist, Attempting To Crush Mask.  
>But, Mask Spun Around In a Tornado That Increased In Size.<p>

Mask Soon Returned To Normal Size And Jumped Away.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Shouted a Policia Trooper

Mask Saw Several Other Officers Approached Them.  
>Talon Smiled Evily As He Approached The Officers, His Hands Raised Up.<p>

"I Surrender!" Said Talon Sarcasticly

Talon Charged And Punched An Officer In The Gut, Knocking The Wind Out Of Him.  
>He Then Kicked Another Officer Down To The Ground, a Cruel Look On His Face.<p>

"HEY!  
>That Isn`t Very Nice!" Said Mask<p>

"I`m An Evil Villain...What Do You Expect!"

Talon Activated His Wrist Lasers...Which Glowed Bright Yellow And Red.  
>He Blasted Both Lasers At Mask, Creating a Gaping hole In his Chest...Which Soon Formed Back.<p>

"DON`T YOU EVER RUN OUT OF WEAPONS!  
>SHEESH!, YOUR LIKE A ONE MAN ARMY OR SOMETHING!"<p>

Talon Continued To Fire At Mask Who turned And Ran From Him.

"COME BACK YOU COWARD!"

"I AM NOT RUNNING AWAY!...i am just making a "tactical retreat." Shouted Mask

Mask Twirled Around And Became Superman.

"UP!, UP!, AND AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"

Mask Flew Up And Faced Talon.  
>He Fired Laser Beams From His Eyes And Knocked Talon`s Wrist Lasers Off.<p>

"HA!  
>Give Me Your Best Shot, Pal!"<p>

Talon Smiled.  
>He Clutched His Egg Bombs...And Tossed Them At a Billboard.<p>

Mask`s Eyes Popped Out Of His Head.  
>He Then Flew Over And Scooped Up Some People Before The Billboard Could Fall On Them.<p>

"Heh!  
>So Typical For a HERO."<p>

Talon Blasted Off At Full Speed.  
>Mask Chased After Him, But Talon Had One Last Trick.<p>

He Tossed a Grenade Behind Him, Which Exploded Into a Bright Flash.  
>Mask Was Blinded By The Flash Bomb And Fell To Ground...Crushing a Car.<p>

"Whoa.  
>That Guy Is GOOD...But, In a BAD WAY."<p>

Mask Changed Back To His Normal Form.  
>He Looked Up And Watched At Talon Flew Away, Laughing Evily.<p>

"I...I Can`t Believe I Lost.  
>How Can That Be?...I NEVER LOSE!"<p>

Mask Got Up And Slipped Away Into An Alley.

[Meanwhile, Back At Town Square]

White Pantera Helped Voltura Down From The Web Of Silly String.

"You Alright, Voltura?"

Voltura Head Her Head.

"i`m...i`m fine.  
>i guess that villain caught me off-guard."<p>

"Well, At Least You Are Safe."

Lady Gobbler And Black Cuervo Flew Over To Voltura.

"MOM!  
>Are You Okay!"<p>

Voltura Sighed.

"i don`t know...i really don`t know."

Voltura Walked Away, a Sad Look On Her Face.

Soon, Chris Came Back.  
>El Tigre Ran Up To Him.<p>

"Manny...What Happened!  
>Did The Mask REALLY Fail To Stop That Talon Guy!"<p>

"Looks That Way, Bro."

Chris Sighed Sharply.

"Great...  
>I Can`t Fight This Guy, And Now Even THE MASK CAN`T STOP HIM!"<p>

"It`s Okay...  
>Maybe Your Just Having One Of Those Days, You`ll De Better Next Time!"<p>

"Next Time Better Be Soon...That Guy Is nuts!  
>He Tried To Kill Innocent People, And I Think It Was Just To Get My Attention."<p>

"Yeah, Your Right...He`s Just About As Bad As Sartana Is."

Chris Looked And Saw Something.

"hey...what is that?"

Chris Walked Over And Picked Up a Shattered Piece Of Metal.  
>Tigre Walked Over To Chris And Looked At It.<p>

"What is It?"

Chris Stared At It.

"Wait!...I Remember This.  
>Talon Somehow Was Able To Transform His Wings Into These "Floating Blades."<br>This Thing Must Of Broken Off During My Fight With Him."

"Think It Might Give Us a Clue On Who He Is?"

"I Hope So..."

Chris Put The Broken Blade In His Pocket.

"Right Now, I`m a Little Worried..."

"About What?"

Chris Sighed.

"This Guy...TALON.  
>His Suit And Weapons Looked Just Like The Flock Of Fury`s...<br>And, He Also Went After Voltura Earlier."

"Think There Is a Connection?"

Chris Narrowed His Eyes.

"Maybe..."

The Policia Soon Gathered And Tried To Maintain Some Control.  
>Unknown To Everyone However...Talon Was Spying Them In Secret.<p>

He Snickered To Himself.

"Yeeeeeeeeesssssssss...  
>Everything Is Going According To My Master Plan, Heh Heh Heh."<p>

Talon Pressed a Button On His Suit.  
>His Suit Shimmered, Then Turned Invisible.<p>

Talon Then Flew Away Silently, Laughing Evilt To Himself


	4. The Silent Stalker

El Tigre copyright Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua

The MASK copyright Dark Horse Comics/New Line Cinema

* * *

><p>Revenge Of Talon<p>

Chapter 03: The Silent Stalker

[Aves Home]

Carmelita Sat At a Counter In Her Kitchen.  
>She Held a Coffee Cup, But Her Hands Were Shaking Violently.<p>

She Tried To Steady Herself, But She Found It IMPOSSIBLE.

Finally, She Took a Sip And Drank Her Coffee.

"Mij-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Shrieked Carmelita

Grandmami Aves Just Eyes Her.

"What IS With you!  
>You`ve Been Acting Crazy All Day!"<p>

Carmelita Sighed.

"S-Sorry, Mother...I`m Not Feeling Very Well."

"Then, Maybe You Should Lie Down."

Carmelita Had a Blank Stare.

"Yes...I Think I Should."

Carmelita Got Up And Walked Away.  
>The Old Woman Sighed Sharply.<p>

"That Girl Has To Stop Hanging Around That White Pantera...She`s Starting To Act Like Him!"

Carmelita Walked Into her Living Room And Flopped Down On The Couch.  
>Her Body Was Still Trembling In Fear, Unsure Of What To Do.<p>

Well...There Was ONE THING She Could Do.

Carmelita Instantly Grabbed Her Cellphone And Dialed a Number.  
>It Rang For a Few Minutes...The Whole Time Carmelita Was Fidgeting Her Fingers.<p>

CLICK!

"Hello?" Said The Voice Of Maria Rivera

"MARIA!  
>It`s Me...Carmelita Aves."<p>

"Oh, Hello, Carmelita..." Said Maria In a Sweet Voice

"I Saw You Fighting That Talon Guy On The News...I`m So Glad Your Oka-"

"Maria, I Think It`s HIM." Said Carmelita, Her Voice Stern And Serious

"Him?  
>What DO You Mean?"<p>

Carmelita Sighed.

"vinnie..."

Maria Gasped.

"But...But, That Can`t Be!  
>I Thought You Said He`d NEVER Find You!"<p>

"Yeah, That`s What I Thought!  
>But, I KNOW It`s Him...I Saw His Face."<p>

Maria Exhaled.

"carmelita, i`m-"

Carmelita Began To Cry.

"maria, what am i gonna do!...  
>I Thought I Was Finally Rid Of Him, I THOUGHT Zoey Was Safe From Him!"<p>

Carmelita Sighed.

"Maria...I`m Scared.  
>I Have Never Felt SO Scared In My Entire Life.<br>PLEASE HELP ME, MARIA!...your my best friend.  
>I`ve Told You Things I Have Never Told My Mother...SO, I Really Need Your Help."<p>

Maria Sighed.

"Well...If He Knows Where You Are.  
>Them Maybe You Should Stay Someplace Safe...Just Until We Solve This Mess."<p>

"WHERE!"

Maria Thought a Bit.

"Well...How About MY HOUSE!"

"Your House?"

"Sure!  
>My Mansion Has PLENTY Of Room And, I have Some Very "Cutting Edge" Security As well."<p>

Carmelita Pondered This.

"Oh...I Don`t Know.  
>I`ll Have To Think About It."<p>

Maria Sighed.

"Okay...Let Me Know When You Make Up Your Mind."

"Okay, I Will..."

Carmelita Was About To Hang Up.

"Carmelita..."

Carmelita Listened.

"Yes?"

"Don`t Worry...Everything Is Gonna Be Fine."

Carmelita Frowned.

"i hope so..."

Carmelita Hung Up Her Phone.  
>She Inhaled Deeply, Then Finally Exhaled.<p>

She Then Got Up And Walked Away.

Carmelita Walked Into Her Room, Then Went Inside Her Private Bathroom.  
>She Faced a Small Mirrored Door, Opened It And Took Some Aspirin.<p>

She Sighed Deeply As She Swallowed Some Pills.  
>Then Put The Bottle Back And Closed The Door...Only To See Talon Standing Behind Her.<p>

"GAAAHH!" Shrieked Carmelita, Who Turned And Faced Talon

"heh heh heh...Have a Tough Day At the Office, Hon?  
>That`s Okay...Mine`s a "Killer", Heh! Heh! Heh!"<p>

Carmelita Tried Her Best To Look Brave...But, Fear Was Still Clear On Her face.

"What Are You Doing Here?  
>How Did You get Past-"<p>

"Security?  
>Oh, Please...Your Grandmother`s Security System Is Like Her: "ANCIENT"<br>Wasn`t TOO HARD To Get In Your House...Plus, My Suit`s Cloaking Program Helped Too."

Carmelita Looked At Talon`s Suit Up Close For The First Time.

"Looks ALOT Like Mine...How`d You Get Out Technology?"

Talon Chuckled.

"Trade Secret...  
>Let`s Just Say: I`ve Not Only Duplicated Your "Bird Tech", I have IMPROVED IT!"<p>

Talon Displayed His Harness/Pack.

"Like It?  
>It`s An ANTI-GRAVITY HARNESS.<br>Like What a BLU-RAY Is To DVDs, My Harness Is To Your Jetpacks...  
>It Runs On It`s Own Energy, So There Is No Need For Rocket Fuel.<br>Doesn`t Need a Thruster, I Attain TRUE FLIGHT Through The "Invisible Gravity Field" It Creates.  
>Plus, It`s As SILENT As a Feather Falling On The Ground...Not Like Your "NASCAR Moter"<p>

"And The Wings?"

"Nanobots...Ones That I Control."

Talon Chuckled Evily.  
>Carmelita Faced Him.<p>

"What Do You Want!

"I Want To Claim What`s Mine."

"Yours?"

"Yes...What You Stole From Me Years Ago."

"I Stole NOTHING!  
>If Anything...YOU STOLE FROM ME!"<p>

Talon Chuckled.

"You Wanna Play That Way?...Fine."

Talon Walked Off Into Carmelita`s Room.  
>As She Followed Him, He Opened And Window.<p>

"Oh, By The Way...You have a "Nice Daughter", Carm."

Carmelita Cringed At Talon`s Words Talon Just Glared At Her Sinisterly.

"she`s so much like her father..."

"GET OUT!" Shouted Carmelita

Talon Smirked.  
>He Flew Away Outside, Laughing Insanly Into The Night.<p>

Carmelita Quickly Ran Up And Closed The Windows, Locking Them.  
>She Began To Hyperventilate...Obviously Enduced By a "Panic Attack".<p>

Carmelita Then Grabbed Her Phone And Dialed It.

CLICK!

"Hello?"

"Maria!, It`s Me."

"Carmelita?"

"Maria, He Was IN MY HOUSE!"

"WHAT!" Gasped Maria

"Maria...How Soon Can My family Come Over?"

"Well...Right Now If You Wan-"

"I`ll Be There In TEN MINUTES."

Carmelita Shut Her Phone Off.

However, There Was a Figure Kneeling Atop a Building From Afar.  
>Talon Had His Finger At His Helmet...Listening In On Carmelita`s Phone Call.<p>

He Smiled Evily.

"Hmmmm...Interesting, heh heh heh."

[Later, At Maria`s Manor]

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Maria Walked Up And Opened The Door.  
>She Saw The Aves Family Standing There With Some Large Suitcases And Luggage.<p>

"Carmelita, Hi!" Said Maria Cheerfully

Carmelita Smiled Weakly As She And Her Family Walked Into The House.

"Hello, Maria...Sorry We`re Not Meeting On "Better" Circumstances."

"Oh, Don`t Worry About It...I`m Just Happy To Help."

The Aves Walked Into The Main Lobby Of The Manor Which Was Pretty Large, With Hallways And a Grand Staircase That Led Upstairs.

"(Whistle)...Look At This Place!  
>I Can`t Believe I Never Think Of Robbing Her-"<p>

Grandmami Aves Looked At Carmelita...Who Was Glaring At her.

"N-Not That I Think That Way, Anymore!  
>Because I Don`t, ANYMORE!...that is to say." Said Grandmami Aves Nervously<p>

Maria Walked Up.

"You Can Leave You Things ANYWHERE...  
>We`ll Unpack Later, First You need Something To Eat."<p>

"Thank You, Maria." Said Carmelita

Maria Smiled.  
>Then, Zoe Looked Around.<p>

"Where Is Chris?"

"He`s In His Room...Been In There For HOURS.  
>I Think He`s Developing The Photos He Took At The Towns Square Ceremony."<p>

"Oh...Okay.  
>I`ll Remember To Knock, Then."<p>

Zoe Ran Upstairs.  
>Carmelita Sighed As She Watched Her Leave.<p>

Maria Walked Up To her Friend.

"you haven`t told her?" Asked Maria Softly

Carmelita Was Speechless, She Just Shook Her Head.

"Carmelita, She NEEDS TO KNOW."

Carmelita Sighed.

"i know...  
>i`m just not sure how to tell her, yet."<p>

[Meanwhile, In Chris`s Room]

Max The Dog Lay On The Bed As Chris Was Working At a Desk...  
>He Was Looking At Talon`s Shattered Blade Weapon From Under a Microscope.<p>

"hmmmm...fasinating." Muttered Chris

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Who Is It!" Called Chris

"It`s Me!" Replied Zoe

Chris Looked Back.

"Zoey?  
>Come In!"<p>

The Door Opened And Zoe Walked In.  
>Max Barked Happily As He Walked Over To Her.<p>

Zoe Bent Down And Pet The Jack Russle, Who Licked Her Face.  
>She Then Stood Up And Walked Over To Chris.<p>

"Those Don`t Look Like Photos..." Said Zoe, Looking At The Blade

"Oh, That...  
>I Finished Developing Those Hours Ago, This Is My MAIN FOCUS."<p>

"What Is It?"

"Came From that Talon Guy..."

"Oh...I See." Said Zoe, a Little Shaken

"What Did You Find Out?"

Chris Sighed Sharply.

"Well, For Starters...The Guy Has Some Pretty Advanced Tech.  
>This Blade WAS Levitating In The Air Back In The Fight...<br>Then, It Melted Into a Silver Mist And Formed Into His Glider Wings."

"How Is That Possible?" Said Zoe, a Little Curious

Chris Moved His Chair Back.

"Just Look."

Zoe Looked Through The Microscope...  
>Her Eyes Widened At What She Saw: Tiny, Orb-Shaped Robots.<p>

"What...What Are They!"

"Nanobots."

"Nano-What?"

"Nanobots...  
>They Are Thousands Of Microscopic Robots That All Work Together In Union.<br>Some Scientists Use These Suckers As a Way To Repair And Restore Damaged Machinery...  
>But, This Talon Guy Has Figured Out How To Weaponise Them...But, that`s Not All."<p>

Zoe Looked At Chris.

"What Do You Mean?"

Chris Reached Into His Desk.  
>He Pulled Out a Laptop Computer And Turned It On.<p>

"Before I Came To The Ceremony...I Placed Timed Digital Camera`s All Over Town Square.  
>I Was Hoping To Capture Pics Of The Ceremony At Every Angle For Extra Credit For The Maracka..."<p>

Chris Looked At Zoe.

"But, When Talon Attack...I Got Something Else."

Chris Clicked a Folder On His Desktop.  
>Images Of Photographs Appeared...Photos Of Talon.<p>

"I Took The Liberty Of Digitally Enhancing These Pics...Check It Out."

Zoe Looked At The Images, Her Eyes Widened In Shock.

"Look Familure?" Said Chris

"Yes...He DOES.  
>His Suit Looks Just Like My Family`s Suit."<p>

"So Does His Gear...  
>I Even Cross Referenced It On My Computer.<br>Aside From Some "Extra Features" And a Few "Upgrades"...  
>His Suit And Gear Are An Identical Match To The Flock Of Fury`s Tech."<p>

Zoe Looked At Chris.

"How Is This Possible?"

"Beats Me...  
>All I Know For Sure, Is That the Guy Knows ALOT About Your Family...Maybe EVERYTHING."<p>

Zoe Sighed.

"He Was In Our House..."

"What!"

"Mom Saw Him In Her Room...  
>He Somehow Got Pass Grandmami`s Security And Snuck Up On My Mom."<p>

"Is She Okay!" Said Chris, a Little Worried

"Yeah...Talon Didn`t Attack Her.  
>But, He Definetly KNOWS Who We Are...That`s Why Your Mom Offered To Let us Stay Here For Now.<p>

Chris Smiled.

"Mom Always DID Like To Help People In Need...  
>Afterall...Why Else Would She Pick Up a Kid Off The Streets And Adopt Him."<p>

Zoe Smiled.  
>She Then Looked Back At The Screen.<p>

"Hey...What`s This?"

Zoe Pointed At The Pack/Harness On Talon`s Back.

"One Of Talon`s Many "Modification"...  
>I Think It`s Some Kind Of "Anti-Gravity Harness."<p>

"Anti-Gravity?"

"Yeah...  
>It`s ALOT Quieter Than Jetpack Thrusters And Generates It`s Own Energy.<br>Scientists Have Much LARGER Versions Of this As a Generator They Use For "Astronaut Training"  
>By Casting Invisible Energy Fields that makes things Heavier Or Lighter...Often Inducing Levitation.<br>Seems That Talon Has Constructed a Smaller Version That He Can Wear Like a Backpack Or Harness."

"Whoa..."

"He Also Seems To have Some Cloaking Technology...  
>One Second He Was There, Next Second...He Just Disappeared."<p>

"Meaning You Can Never Know Where He`ll Be Until It`s TOO LATE."

Chris Nodded.

"Yep.  
>He`s Like The Ultimate "Bird Of Prey"<p>

Chris Sighed.

"There Is Another Thing That Worries Me..."

"What?"

"He Attacked The Ceremony On Purpose...Because He KNEW There Would Be Alot Of People There.  
>He Put Countless Innocent People In Danger, And He KNEW IT...Enjoyed It Even."<p>

Chris Faced Zoe.

"Talon Has a Total Disreguard For Human Life...And, I think He Knows It.  
>This Guy Needs To be Stopped Before Somebody REALLY Gets Hurt."<p>

Zoe Nodded.

"Yeah...Your Right.  
>I Just Wish I Knew How He Got His Hands On My Family`s Technology."<p>

"Right Now...I`m Having Trouble Figuring Out How He Built His "Improved" Versions Of It.  
>Even If he`s a Genius, He`d STILL Need Access To a Lab Of Some Kind...If Only To Store His Weapons."<p>

Zoe Placed Her Hand On Chris`s Shoulder.

"Don`t Worry, Chris...You`ll Figure Something Out."

"I Hope So...  
>Because, I Don`t Think The Mask Can Handle This One." Said Chris Softly<p>

Zoe Sighed.  
>She Then Looked Around Chris`s Room.<p>

"Nice Room...I Don`t Think I`ve Ever Been Inside This Place All That Much."

"No...Your Really Not."

Zoe Looked At The Stack Of DVDs At His Television.  
>Most Of Them Were Of LOONEY TUNES, TOM AND JERRY And TEX AVERY Cartoons.<p>

"You Sure Like Cartoons..." Said Zoe

"Only Certain Kinds."

Zoe Then Looked At a Stack Of Comic Books Nearby...  
>The Titles Were: BATMANSUPERMAN, SPIDER-MAN, X-MEN, IRON MAN, THE HULK, Ect.

"Hmmm...Nice."

Zoe Then Walked Over To His Closet.  
>She Opened It, Looked Inside...And Saw a Green, Wooden Mask Atop The Shelf.<p>

"Is THIS Where You Keep Your Mask?...With Your Laundry?"

Chris Looked At Zoe.

"Uhhhh...Yeah.  
>I Figured It`s The Last Place Anyone Would Look For It."<p>

Zoe Looked At The Mask And Stared At It Awhile.

"So...What`s It Like When You Put It On?"

Chris Raised An Eyebrow.

"You Mean...What Does It Feel Like When I Transform?"

Zoe Turned And Looked At Chris.

"Yeah!...What`s It Like?"

Chris Exhaled As He Thought a Bit.

"It`s Hard To Explain...  
>But, I Suppose It`s Like Experiencing TRUE FREEDOM."<p>

"Freedom?"

"Yeah...  
>See, The Mask Unleashes Your True Desires.<br>When I`m The Mask...I can Do ANYTHING I Want, And I Do Mean "Anything".

"I Know...I`ve Seen Your Powers.  
>There Incredible...Your Like The Most Powerful Superhuman Alive!"<p>

"Yeah...And That`s What Worries Me.  
>If Those Powers Ever Fell Into The Wrong Hands, It Would Be a Disaster."<p>

"Like When Mikla Had The Mask?"

"That`s One Way To Put It...  
>But, I Once Screwed Up And Let a Dangerous Gangster Wear The Mask."<p>

Chris Sighed Sharply, Guilt Evident On His Face.

"So Many People Died...And Mainly Because I Was Irresponsible."

Zoe Looked At Chris.

"I...Didn`t Know."

"Yeah, Well...  
>That`s What Happens When a "Deranged Psychopath" Wears a Mask That Unleashes Your TRUE YOU."<p>

Zoe Cringed a Little.

"Then, You`d Better Keep Your Closet Locked...Miracle City Is Just Full Of Psycho`s."

Chris Smiled.  
>He Walked Over To Zoe And Touched Her face.<p>

"You Know...I Only Kept That Thing To Keep It Away From Evil People.  
>But, I Have Grown To Enjoy Using It As Time Has Gone By..."<p>

Zoe Smiled.

"Yeah...I Noticed.  
>That Trick You Pulled On Spike Was Funny."<p>

Chris Chuckled.

"Yeah, It Was.  
>But, Seriously...I Have Been Considering On Some People Who I Could Trust To Wear The Mask Other Than Me."<p>

Zoe Eyed Him.

"Oh...Like Who?"

Zoe Thought a Bit.

"It`s Not FRIDA Is It?..."

"NO...Absolutely NOT.  
>Giving Someone As CRAZY As Frida a Mask Of Chaos Is Like Giving Sartana The Remote To a Nuclear Bomb: Insane And Stupid."<p>

"Oh, I Can Understand That."

Zoe Though Some More.

"Manny, Then?"

"Also No...  
>He Can`t Even Decide If He Wants To Be a HERO Or a VILLAIN So, I`m Pretty Sure Wearing The Mask Will Drive Him Crazy...Or CRAZIER."<p>

Zoe Sighed.

"Okay, I Give Up...Who?"

Chris Looked At Zoe.

"you."

Zoe Looked At Chris In Shock.

"M-ME!"

Chris Nodded Zoe Sighed Sharply.

"Chris...I Understand Why You`d Trust Me So Quickly, Me Being Your Girlfriend And All.  
>But...I Don`t Think I`m The Right Person To Keep Your Mask Besides You."<p>

"How Come?"

Zoe Sighed.

"Well, Because...I`m a Villain!"

"USED To Be a Villain...You`ve Changed, Remember?"

"I Still Feel Like a Villain.  
>And, You Said The Mask Unleashes Your "True Desires"..."<p>

Zoe Sighed, Holding Her Head.

"Chris...I Am a Girl With ISSUES.  
>I`m Aggressive And Vengful...So, I Really Don`t Think I Should EVER Wear Your Mask!<br>What If I Put It On And It Makes Me Do Something So Horrible...I`ll Regret It For The Rest Of My Life."

Chris Looked At Her, Then Sighed With a Smile.

"Zoe, You Got It All Wrong.  
>The Mask Doesn`t CONTROL You And Make It Do What "It" Wants...<br>The Mask Only INFLUENCES Feelings That You Already Have In Your Heart."

Chris Looks Into Zoe`s Eyes.

"Just Answer Me This: Would You Ever Kill Someone...Even When You Were a Villain?"

"Of Course Not!  
>It Goes Against My Family`s CODE OF HONOR!"<p>

"Good...Then, You Have Nothing To Worry About.  
>Because If Zoe Doesn`t Kill...Then, "Mask Zoe" Won`t Kill Either.<br>Just Like I Would Never Kill Or Be Cruel When I`m The Mask...Because I`m Not Like That."

Zoe Sighed.

"i guess your right..."

Chris Kissed Zoe Softly.

"i trust you, zoe...that`s all i need."

Zoe Smiled Weakly.  
>Just Then, Something Beeped Loudly In Chris`s Pocket.<p>

"What Is It?"

Chris Checked His Beeper.

"Oh, It`s The Maracka.  
>Mr. Francisco Must Want His Pictures, Already."<p>

Chris Walked Over And Grabbed Some Photographs.  
>He Stuffed Them In a Backpack And Put It On.<p>

"I have To Get These Over To The Office Real Quick."

Chris Gave Zoe a Fast Kiss.

"Be Back Soon, I promise."

"Just Be Careful..."

Chris Smiled, Then Walked Out Of His Room.  
>Zoe Sighed As She Sat Down On His Bed.<p>

Max Jumped Up Into her Lap And Zoe Petted Him.

[Later, In Downtown]

Chris Walked Down The Street With a Frown On His Face.

"I Can`t Believe I Just Spent Several Hours Listening To That Quack Rant And Rave Over How Pathetic My Alter Ego Was Against Talon!  
>(Sigh) And, What a Headline: "GREEN FACED WACKO IS PUMMELED BY NEW BIRD VILLAIN!"<br>Sheesh...As If I Didn`t Feel Bad Enough About How Easily I Was Beaten By That Guy!"

As Chris Walked Down The Street...a Blurry, Ghost-Like Image Followed Him From The Rooftops Of Various Buildings.

The Ghost Image Faded...And The Figure Of Talon Stood There.

He Smiled Evily, Then Pressed a Button On His Helmet.  
>His Golden, "Beak" Visor Zoomed In On Chris Like Advanced Binoculars.<p>

Talon`s HUD Appeared, Which Read: "TARGET LOCKED"  
>Talon Then Flexed His Clawed Gloves, Which Shimmered Like Blades.<p>

"come to me, my PREY..." Said Talon In a Sinister Voice


	5. Zoe's Father

El Tigre copyright Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua

The MASK copyright Dark Horse Comics/New Line Cinema

* * *

><p>Revenge Of Talon<p>

Chapter 04: Zoe`s Father

[Casa Del Mariachi, Night]

Maria Rivera Is Pacing Around Nervously...

It Was Already Dinner Time And The Aves Family Were All Seated.  
>But, They Couldn`t Begin Without Chris...And He Had Been Gone For HOURS.<p>

"where is that boy?..." Muttered Maria

"Does He Usually Stay Out This Late?" Asked Carmelita

Maria Looked At The Aves Family.

"Well, Only When He Has To Work The NIGHT SHIFT For The Newspaper Office.  
>But...He Would Call Me First, He ALWAYS DOES!"<p>

Maria Sighed.

"Something Must Be Wrong."

"OH, RELAX!  
>Chris a Teenager...And Teenagers Like To Stay Out Late!" Said Grandmami Aves<p>

"NOT CHRIS!  
>He`s More Responsible Than Tha-"<p>

RIIIIIIIIIIIIING!  
>RIIIIIIIIIIIIING!<br>RIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

Maria Reached Into Her Pocket And Answered The Phone.

"HELLO, CHRI-"

"HA! HA! HA! HAAAAAAAAA!"

Maria`s Blood Ran Cold As The Sinister Laughter Filled Her Ears.  
>The Aves Family Could See The Pale, Terrorised Expression On Her Face.<p>

"I`m Sorry, Mrs. Rivera...  
>But, Mr. Johnson Won`t Be Coming To Dinner, Tonight...He`s "Tied Up" At The Moment."<p>

Maria Fear Instantly Disappeared...Replaced By Rage.

"you son of a- WHERE IS MY SON, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM!"

Zoe Became Frightned, As Was Carmelita...Who Somehow KNEW Who It Was.

"Calm Down, Ms. Rivera...  
>No Harm Will Come To The Boy, So Long As You Do What I Tell Ya."<p>

Maria Clenched Her Fist, Her Teeth Grinding.

"Now...Put Your Cell On SPEAKER.  
>I Want Your "Friends" To hear Me.<p>

Maria Was Fuming, But She Did As She Was Told.  
>She Placed The Cellphone On The Table And Pressed The Speaker Button.<p>

"So...You Thought You`d All Be Safe From Me By Running Away To a "Friend`s House"  
>Well, Guess What...YOU THOUGHT WRONG! And As You Can See: I have My "Ways" Of Getting To People."<p>

Carmelita Pounded On The Table.

"BLAST YOU, TALON!  
>This Is Between YOU And ME...Leave Chris Out Of this!"<p>

Laughter Could Be Heard From The Phone.

"Oh, Carmelita...Compassion Has ALWAYS Been Your "Weakness."

"WHAT DO YOU WANT!" Shouted Carmelita

"Simple...THE TRUTH."

"Truth!"

"Yes...I Have a Feeling You Haven`t Been Completly "Honest" With Somebody In The Room.  
>And You Know EXACTLY Who I Am Talking About...Either You Confess, Or "Bad Things" Will Happen."<p>

Carmelita Stuttered a Bit, Then Became Serious.

"I Don`t Know What Your Talking About!"

Talon Sighed.

"Oh, Still Playing Dumb, Eh?  
>Well, I Am DONE PLAYING!"<p>

"SO AM I!" Shouted Carmelita

"Watch Your Tone, Missy!  
>Or a Certain "American" Is Gonna Have a BAD DAY."<p>

Carmelita Gritted Her Teeth.

"You Ladies Want To See Him Alive?  
>Then, Meet Me At Your Precious Statue By MIDNIGHT!<br>No Policia And NO RIVERA MEN Or It`ll Break Christoppher`s Heart...And Most Of His Bones."

"BUT!-"

"Do It, Voltura...OR ELSE."

CLICK!

Carmelita Yelled Out In Anger.  
>She Breathed Heavily Then Looked At Everyone Else.<p>

Zoe Had a Serious Look On His Face.  
>Carmelita The Narrowed Her Eyes.<p>

"Suit Up...We`re Getting Chris Back!"

[Meanwhile, Somewhere Else]

Chris Was Sitting On a Metal Chair, His WRists And Ankles Shackled To It.  
>He Was Feeling Woozy...Due To Being Sprayed By Sleeping Gas By An Unknown Attacker.<p>

(("wake up, child...wake up.)) Said An Echoed Voice

Chris Opened His Eyes, But His Vision (Along WIth His Hearing) Was Blurred a Bit.

(("no...your not dead...YET.  
>you`ve just been sedated...temporarily.))<p>

Chris`s Vision And Hearing Soon Cleared And He Found Himself In An Empty Room.  
>He Saw a Wide The Skyline Through a WIndoe, Indicating He Was Inside a Tall Building.<p>

He Looked And Saw a Figured Clad In Dark Red And Gold, Bird-Like Armor.

"talon..." Muttered Chris Under Breath

Talon Approached Chris And Smiled.  
>His Gold Visor Retracted And Revealed His Face To Chris.<p>

"Your An Amazing Creature, Chris...You An I Aren`t So Different."

Chris Eyed Talon.

"What Are You Talking About?"

"Oh, Don`t Play COY With Me.  
>I Know Your The Mask...Among OTHER Things."<p>

Chris Eyed Him.

"Yeah...Except For The Part Where You Think We Aren`t Different.  
>I`m Not Like You, Talon...I`m Not a MURDERER."<p>

Talon Chuckled.

"You Say That Like It`s a Bad Thing."

Chris Glared At talon.

"It IS...To Me."

Talon Shrugged His Shoulders.

"Okay, Fine...You Got Me.  
>I Chose My Path, The Path Of POWER...And You Chose To Be a Hero.<br>But, Trust Me On This...Being a "Selfless Hero" Doesn`t Cut It In The End."

"OH, YEAH!  
>How Would You Know!"<p>

Talon Grinned Wickedly.

"Because I Used To Be One...a Very Long Time Ago."

Chris Eyes Him.

"You What?"

Talon Chuckled With a Smile.

"Yes, I Know...UNBELIEVABLE!  
>How Could a Deranged Psychopath Devoid Of Any Compassion Possably Be An "Ex-Superhero"<br>Well, BELIEVE IT, KID!...I Was Once a "Goody-Goody" That Upheal JUSTICE And VIRTUE."

Talon Made a Gaging Noise.

"Sheesh!  
>Makes Me Sick Whenever I Think About It!"<p>

"What Changed?" asked Chris

Talon Laughed.

"What Else!...I Got Tired Of "Playing By The Rules"  
>But, Mostly...I Got FED UP With The Lack Of "Gradetude" For My Good Deeds."<p>

Talon Paced Around, Brooding.

"i saved the would one-hundred times over...and one-hundred times, again!  
>and, yet...people still treated me like i was the villain!<br>HA!, Freak And Menace They Called Me..."

Talon Glanced Back At Chris.

"I`ve Seen How The Public Looks At You, Chris...When You The Mask."

Talon Approached Chris, a Smile On His Face.

"You`ve Saved This City More Times Than I Care To Count.  
>HA!, For Everything You`ve Done...THEY SHOULD BUILD STATUES OF YOU!<br>But, The Policia Hunt You Down Like a Common Criminal...Despite All Your Acts Of Heroism."

Talon Got Close To Chris.

"It Won`t Be Long Until The Public Loses Faith In You, Too...  
>Oh, Sure...They Back You Up Now!, But Only Because They Find You "Interesting" For The Moment."<p>

Chris Eyed Talon As He Continued To Talk.

"People LOVE a Hero.  
>But, The ONE THING They Love More Than a Hero...Is To See a Hero FAIL, FALL, DIE TRYING.<br>Despite Everything You`ve Done For Them...Eventually, They Will Hate You"

Talon Looked At Chris.

"So, Tell Me Boy...Why Bother?"

Chris Narrowed His Eyes.

"Because...It`s The RIGHT THING To Do."

Talon Chuckled, Finding Chris`s Excuse "Amusing".

"Okay...Here`s The "Real Truth".  
>There Are Thousands Of People Living In Miracle City...<br>And, Each Of Those Teeming Masses Seek To Bring Down Those "Select Few" That Are Unique."

Talon Gently Places His Hand On Chris`s Shoulder, Who Felt Like His Skin Was "Crawling".

"You And Me...We`re UNIQUE."

Talon Leaned Over And Cupped Chris`s Face, Gently Rubbing the Edge Of His Claws At His Skin.

"Ooooooh...i could easily snap you neck like a twig.  
>Then, Simply Take Your Mask And Use It`s Powers More "Openly"<p>

"Then, Why Don`t You?" Said Chris, Challenging Talon

Talon Smiled As He Let Go Of Chris.

"Because You Remind Me Too Much Of Myself When I Was Your Age.  
>So Much So...That I Am Offering You a Choice To JOIN ME And Fulfill Your Destiny As RULER OF THIS CITY!"<p>

Chris Glared At Him...He Then Turned Away.

"not interested..."

Talon Smirked.

"Oh...So, POWER Isn`t Your Fancy, Eh?  
>Well, Then I Guess I can Cross RICHES Off That List, Too."<p>

Talon Then Smiled Evily.

"Perhaps I Can Offer You Something Less "Selfish"

"HA!  
>Oh, Really?...Like What?"<p>

"Oh, Maybe...The Identity Of Your REAL Family."

Chris Looked AT talon, His Eyes Widened With Shock.

"Wha-What?"

Talon Chuckled.

"I Know About You being An Orphan, Chris...  
>I KNOW That Your Were Adopted Into The River Family...Is Was Kind Of OBVIOUS."<p>

Talon Then Moved Closer To Chris.

"Think About It, Boy...I Could Find Out True Identities Of your Birth Parents.  
>I Could Tell You their Real Names, YOUR REAL NAME...Even Bring Them To You."<p>

Chris Was Staring Blankly As Talon Moved Around His Head Like a Serpent.

"All The Questions...You`ve ALWAYS Wanted Answered.  
>You`ll Finally Know Where You Came From And NO MORE Will You Be An Outcast."<p>

Talon Faced Chris, Grinning Maliciously.

"With But a Word...I Could Find Them For You.  
>I Have "Connections"...How Else Do You Think I Gathered Intel On YOU?"<p>

Chris Looked At Talon, a Little Unsure Of This.

"Or...You Can Go On Living Your Life As The American Outcast In Mexico...  
>Doomed To Have Questions Go UNANSWERED And Have Your True Ancestry To Forever Be a BLANK PAGE."<p>

Talon Got Up Close To Chris.

"Tell Me...Is THAT What You Want?"

Chris Stuttered, Not Sure What To Say.

"TELL YOU WHAT!...  
>I`ll Return You To Your "Loved Ones" And Give You The Night To Think It Over."<p>

Talon Sprays Chris WIth The Sleeping Gas Again.

"sweet dreams, johnson..." Said Talon As Chris Fainted.

[Later, At Town Square]

Maria Drove Her Car Over To Town Square And Parked It Near The Flock Of Fury Statue.  
>She Got Out, Slammed The Door Shut And Looked Around.<p>

"ALRIGHT, TALON!" Shouted Maria

"I`m Here...Alone Without The Rest Of My family...NOW, WHERE IS MY SON!"

"where is carmelita and HER FAMILY?" Said a Voice That Came From Nowhere

"Show Yourself, And They Might Do The Same."

"Either THEY Show Themselves...Or, I Just Might Leave WITH The Boy."

AT That Moment, The Flock Of Fury Flew Over From a Building And Landed Near Maria.

"Ooooo...I See Your Dressed For The Occasion."

"SHOW YOURSELF, TALON!" Demanded Voltura

At That Moment, Talon Suddenly Appeared Before Them.

He Was Hovering In The Air, Right In Front Of The Statue...  
>And, He Was Holding An Passed Out Chris In His Arm.<p>

"CHRIS!" Exclaimed Zoe

"SON!" Exclaimed Maria

Talon Landed On The Ground.  
>Gobbler Raised Up Her Sceptor, But Talon Put a Clawed Finger At Chris`s Neck.<p>

"AH-AH!  
>One False Move...And The Boy Gets It."<p>

Gobbler Gritted Her Teeth As She Lowered Her Weapon.  
>Talon Smiled Evily, Then...He Suddenly Sprayed a Vapor On Chris.<p>

Chris Began To Cough.

"Wake Up, Kid...Sleep Time Is Over."

Chris Opened His Eyes And Saw His Mother And The FOF Before Him.

"Mom?, ZOE-"

Talon Covered Chris`s Mouth.

"That`s Enough, Boy...If I Want You to Talk I`ll Ask You."

"LET HIM GO!" Shouted Cuervo

Talon Snickered.

"Oh, Don`t Worry...I WILL.  
>Just As Soon As Voltura Tells The Truth."<p>

"WHAT TRUTH!" Exclaimed Cuervo Angrily

Talon Smiled Sinisterly.

"The Truth...About Your FATHER."

Cuervo Eyed Him.

"What Are You Talking About!"

"Your Mother Hasn`t Been Honest With You, Zoey.  
>Tell Me...WHat DO You Know About Your Dad?"<p>

"THAT NONE OF YOUR BUS-"

Talon Pressed The Razor Sharp End Of His Claw On Chris`s Neck Chris Moved a Bit And The Others Flinced In fear.

"Tell Me...NOW."

Cuervo Sighed...Realising She Was Caught.

"Fine!  
>My Mom Told Me That My Father Was a Master Thief She Met In Spain, ALRIGHT!<br>She Said My Dad Was The Greatest Thief There Was And Rivaled Her Own Skills."

"Yes, Yes...Go On."

Cuervo Sighed.

"Mom Said That...H-He Died When a Crime Lord Murdered Him.  
>She Said That She Escaped The Mobsters By Fleeing Miracle City, THAT`S ALL I KNOW!"<p>

Talon Chuckled.

"Is That So?  
>heh heh heh...Well, I guess It Is HALF TRUE."<p>

Cuervo Raised On Eyebrow.

"What Do You Mean HALF TRUE?"

"Your Mother Didn`t Tell You The WHOLE STORY...  
>And, Unless She DOES Right Now...Chris Is Gonna Pay DEARLY."<p>

Talon Glanced At Voltura.

"So, How About It, Carm?...  
>You Gonna COME CLEAN Or Do I have To Tell Her Who Her Father REALLY WAS?"<p>

Voltura Gritted Her Teeth, her EYes Narrowed.

"Oh, Very Well...I Guess I`ll Have To Tell Her, Then.

"NO VINNIE!, DON`T TELL HER!"

Cuervo Looked At Her Mother.

"Vinnie?"

Voltura Covered In Mouth In Shock.

"So, You Want To Know The TRUTH?" Began Talon

"Well, Here Is The Truth...(Clears Throat)  
>Your Father And mother DID First Meet In Spain...But, Under Much Different Circumstances.<br>See...Your Father Was Once a Superhero Called The GOLDEN GIANT And Your Mother Wa sOne Of His Villains."

Cuervo`s Eyes Widened.

"S-Superhero?  
>My Father...Was a SUPERHERO!"<p>

"Yes...But, The Problem Is: Nobody Liked Him.  
>See, It Was Your Mother: VOLTURA, Who Convinced Him To Become a Supervillain, Instead Of a Hero.<br>And, After Awhile...He Did Just That!, Golden Giant Became The Most FEARSOME Supervillain Of ALL TIME!"

Talon`s Eyes Then Narrowed.

"And, Your Father...WAS NOT KILLED!"

"He Wasn`t?"

"NO!  
>Your Mother Just LEFT HIM WHen You Were Still An Infant."<p>

Cuervo Eyed Him.

"How Do You Know This?"

Talon Grinned Maliciously.  
>He Was Waiting For This Moment.<p>

"Why?  
>Well, I`ll Tell You Why...-"<p>

"VINCE, DON`T!" Shouted Voltura In Terror

But, Talon Ignored Her.

"I`m...Your...FATHER!"

Cuervo Stepped Back In Shock (Chris Was Also Pretty Startled)

"W-WHAT!  
>no...NO, IT CAN`T BE!<br>YOUR LYING!, IT CAN`T BE TRUE!"

Talon Smiled.

"It IS...And You Know It."

Talon Then Looked At Voltura.

"Isn`t That Right, "Sweetie"?"

Cuervo Turned And Faced Her Mother, Tears In Developing IN Her Eyes.

"M-Mom...Is It True?"

Voltura Was Nervous, Unsure What To Say.

"Zoe...It`s Complica-"

"TELL ME THE TRUTH!  
>IS THAT MAN MY FATHER!" Shouted Cuervo, In a Tearful Rage<p>

Voltura Exhaled Deeply, a Tear Running Down her Face.

"yes...it`s true.  
>talon IS your father."<p>

Cuervo Stood Still, Frozen In SHock And Horror.

"no...no, it can`t be."

"Zoey, Please Try To Understand...I Never Meant To-"

"YOU LIED TO ME!  
>ALL MY LIFE YOU LIED TO ME!" Shouted Cuervo In Anger<p>

"I Had a Good Reason To!"

"WHY!"

Talon Chuckled.

"Yes, Carmelita...Tell Us All The Truth: Why Did You Lie?  
>Or, Better Yet...Tell Me: WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME!"<p>

Voltura Glared At Talon Hatefully.

"Why?, I HAD NO CHOICE!  
>YOUR WERE KILLING PEOPLE, VINNIE!"<p>

Talon Laughed.

"Oh...RIGHT!  
>I Knew We`d Be Back To THIS AGAIN!"<p>

"Vinnie, You KNOW My Family`s Code Of Honor.  
>You SWORE That You Would Uphold It When We Married!"<p>

"And, I DID Honor It...For Awhile, Anyway."

Talon Approached Voltura, Still Restraining Chris.

"Carmelita...COME ON!  
>We`re Villains!...Since When Do "Villains" Follow Rules?"<p>

Voltura Glared At Him.

"Stealing Is One Thing, Vinnie...But TAKING A LIFE IS ANOTHER!"

"Don`t Act To NOBLE.  
>Especially Considering All The Times You Attacked White Pantera In The Past."<p>

"I NEVER TRIED TO KILL HIM, VINNIE!  
>I Humiliated Him, I Hurt Him...But, I NEVER Tried To Kill Him."<p>

Talon Scoffed.

"Bah!, What Good Is HONOR To a Supervillain!  
>As Far As I Am Concerned: "Honor" Is Just Another Word For WEAKNESS.<br>That`s Why I Gave Up On Your Stupid Honor Code...IT HELD ME BACK!"

"NO!, IT KEPT MY FAMILY FROM CROSSING THE LINE!"

"Some Lines Need To Be Crossed...  
>And BESIDES...YOU Are The Reason I Became a Criminal In The First Place!<br>You Said It To Me Yourself So Long Ago: "a World With NO RULES!"  
>And, That IS EXACTLY Why I Ignored Your Code Of Honor: I GOT TIRED OF PLAYING BY THE RULES!"<p>

Voltura Sighed.

"i know...it is my fault that you became a villain.  
>and, it`s the greatest regret of my life...i NEVER should of done it."<p>

Talon Laughed Cruely.

"Don`t Bother...Just Look At How Well I`ve Turned Out Because Of You!  
>I Am Now An International Crime Lord...I OWN Every Major City Across The Globe!<br>I Have Vast Wealth, Power And a Name That Inspires TERROR Just By Uttering It..."

Talon Then Glared At Voltura.

"Of Course Even a KINGPIN OF CRIME Needs An "Heir" To Take Over His Criminal Empire...  
>You Ruined My Plans For That When You Ran Off That One Night With Zoey!"<p>

Voltura Glared At Talon.

"I WAS TRYING TO PROTECT HER FROM YOU!  
>You Were Going To Turn Her Into What You Are: A KILLER!, I COULDN`T LET THAT HAPPEN!"<p>

"Right...So, Instead.  
>You Ran Away To Your "Mommy" And Raised MY DAUGHTER To Believe In The Pointless Nonsense Of HONOR As a "Petty Thief".<p>

Voltura Narrowed Her Eyes And Gritted Her Teeth.

"Better Than To Let YOU Raise Her To Be a "Murderous Sociopath".

Talon Chuckled, An Evil Smirk On His Face.

"Now, Tell ME The Truth, Vinnie...How`d You Get My Family`s Technology?"

Talon Chuckled Evily.

"Oh, I`ve ALWAYS Had Data Files Of Your Tech Stored In My Mainframe...Since Before The Honeymoon.  
>I Always Suspected You Would Leave Me Once I Took a "New Career Path", And I Was Apparently Right!<br>After That...It Was Justa Simple Matter Of "Reverse-Engineering" Your Tech AND Improving As Well."

Talon Laughed.

"It Was Then That The GOLDEN GIANT Was No More...I Became TALON.  
>It Was My Own Way Of taking REVENGE ON Your Honorable Family...By Corrupting Your Image."<p>

At That Moment, Chris Tugged At Talon`s Wrist.  
>Talon Then Pulled Away His Hand And Let Chris Speak.<p>

"Excuse Me...  
>But, You`ve Been Handling Me Like a Ragdoll For Almost An Hour, Now.<br>So...I`m Just WOndering: ARE YOU GONNA LET ME GO, OR WHAT!"

Talon Sighed.

"Well, I Guess I Have Gotten What I Wanted Tonight."

Talon Tossed Chris Into Voltura...Both Of Which Fell To The Ground.  
>As The Others Went To them, Talon Flew Up And Hovered For a Moment.<p>

"I INTEND TO ATTAIN A SUCCESSOR TO MY EMPIRE!  
>AND, IF NOT MY DAUGHTER...Then, "Someone Else Will Do"<p>

Talon Then Flies Off, Laughing Maliciously.  
>Maria Helepd Chris Help And Hugged Him.<p>

"OH, MY LITTLE BOY!...YOUR OKAY!"

As MAria Hugged Him, Chris Looked Over And Saw Cuervo Standing Alone.  
>She Was Looking Down With a Sad Expression And Her Arms Were Crossed.<p>

Voltura Approached Her.

"mija, i-

"You Lied To Me." Said Cuervo, Her Voice Had No Emotion

Voltura Sighed Sadly.

"zoey, please...i had no choice.  
>i only did it because i love you!"<p>

Cuervo Eyed Her.

"How Do I Know That`s The Truth?"

Voltura Was Stunned And Hurt At This.  
>Cuervo Then Walked Over To Chris And Hugged Him, She Then Flew Away.<p>

Chris Sighed Sharply.

"oh, zoe...i`m so sorry."


	6. Rematch

El Tigre copyright Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua

The MASK copyright Dark Horse Comics/New Line Cinema

* * *

><p>Revenge Of Talon<p>

Chapter 05: The Rematch

The Following Day Was Difficult For Everyone...

Zoe Wasn`t Speaking To Her Mother, Nor Was She Making Any Eye Contact.  
>Carmelita Was Too Ashamed To Even TRY And Talk To Her...All She Did Was Stay In Her Room or Talk To Maria.<p>

Chris, However...Had His Own Problems.  
>He Was Busy Trying To Decide On If Talon really COULD Find His Real Family.<br>And, If What Talon Said Was True...What Could He Do?

Part Of Chris Felt That Everything Talon Said To Him Made Sense...  
>While, Another Part Of Him KNEW That Talon Couldn`t Be Trusted.<p>

Whatever The Case...Chris Was Troubled By All This.

[Miracle City, Noon]

Chris Was Walking Down The Streets Of Miracle City...Alone.  
>As He Strolled Down The Sidewalk, He Passed By a Magazine Stand.<p>

a Tabloid Newspaper Read: "MASK DECLARED NUMBER UNO MENACE OF MIRACLE CITY BY POLICIA!"

Chris Sighed As He Read The Headline.  
>Soo, Talon`s Voice Echoed In Chris`s Head.<p>

(("Despie EVERYTHING You`ve Done for Them...Eventually, They Will HATE YOU."))

Chris Sighed.

"what if he`s right?  
>what if the city DOESN`T accept me?" Whispered Chris To Himself<p>

Just Then, Some Policia Squad Cars And a Firetruck Sped Past Chris.  
>It Didn`t Take a Genius To Know That Something BAD Was Happening...<p>

And, It Didn`t Matter If They Liked Him or Not...Mask HAD To Do Something.

Chris Ran Off And Ducked Into a Dark Alley.  
>In a Thunderclap And Flash of Green, Mask Spun Out In a Tornado.<p>

"THIS LOOKS LIKE A JOB FOR SUPERMAAAAAAAAAAAAN!  
>Buuuuut, Since He`s Not Around...I Will Have To Do."<p>

Mask Spun In a Green Twister And Followed The Firetruck.

[Later]

Several Policia Cars Surounding a Burning Building While Firefighters Tried To Put Out The Blaze...  
>Mask Soon Arrived And Looked At This.<p>

"Hmmmm...a Burning Building, Eh?  
>Me Thinks This May Be TOO CLICHE To Be Coincidence."<p>

Soon, The Fire Got Worse And The Firemen Were Force To Retreat.

"Whoa...Things Are Starting To Get Hot!  
>I`d Better Think Of Something, FAST!"<p>

Mask Thought a Bit.  
>Then, a Lightbulb Appeared Above His Head With a "ding" Sound.<p>

"Naw, That`ll Never Work." Said Mask As He Switched The Bulb Off.

Then, An Even BIGGER Bulb Appeared...Followed By a "DING!-DING!-DING!" Sound.

"Yep!  
>That`ll Work."<p>

Mask Spun Around In a Twister And Approached The Burning Building.  
>He Reached Into his Pocket And Pulled Out a Large, Futuristic Gun.<p>

The Gun Was Labled "FREEZING GUN 9000"

"eat you heart out, mister freeze..."

Mask Blasts a Blue Beam At The Building.  
>In a Few minutes, The Fires Died Down And The Building Was Iced Over, Covered In Frost.<p>

Snow Began To Blow From The Building As People Ran Out.

Mask Blew On The Gun And Put It Back In his Pocket.

"Let It Snow, Let It Snow..."

At that Moment, Chief Suarez Marched Over.

"AH-HAAAAAA!  
>CAUGHT YOu RED HANDED, MASK!"<p>

"WHAT-DID-I-DO!" Exclaimed Mask In Quick Speech

"FESS UP!  
>I KNOW YOU CAUSED THAT FIRE TO BEGIN WITH!"<p>

Mask Rolled His Eyes.

"Dude...I Just Put Out That fire!  
>How In The Heck Could I Of Started It!"<p>

"SO YOU COULD BOOST YOU REPUTATION BY MAKING YOUSELF LOOK LIKE A HERO!"

"Oh, Please!  
>I May Give People Wedies And Offer Exploding Cigars But, I Would NEVER Put People In REAL Danger Just For Kicks."<p>

Just then, a Grenade Was Thrown And Exploded WIth Powerful Force.  
>Mask And Suarez Looked Up From The Ground And Saw Talon Hovering Over Them.<p>

"Maybe HE Won`t Doesn`t Do that...But, I WOULD!"

Talon Landed On The Ground And Smirked Evily.

"You Mask...Are SO PREDICTABLE!  
>I Just Knew You Couldn`t Resist a Chance To "Save Innocent People".<p>

The Policia, Firefighters And Civiliains Surrounded Them.

"YOU CAUSED THAT FIRE!

"YOU JERK!"

"GET HIM!"

As The Crowd Charged, Talon Emitted An Electrtical Wave That Knocked Them Back.  
>He Then Approached Mask And Faced Him Just a Few Feet Away.<p>

"You Know, mask...I Must Say: I Am VERY Disappointed In You.  
>WHAT ABOUT MY GENEROUS OFFER!...So Tell Me: Are You IN Or Are You OUT?"<p>

Mask Eyed Him, Then Smiled.

"Sorry, Talon...But Your "Price" Is TOO HIGH For Me So, If There Is Anyone Here Who Is "Out", It`s YOU, Feather Head!  
>Because You Have Got To Be "OUT OF YOUR MIND" If You think I Would Join You!"<p>

Talon Growled.

"Are You Forgetting What I Told You!  
>People Will NEVER Accept You!, Your Nothing But a JOKE To Them!"<p>

"Do I Look Like I care What People Think!

Talon Growled, Then Sighed.

"Well, I Am So Sorry You Feel That Way, Mask...I Had Such High Hopes For You."

Talon`s Glider Wings Suddenly Form Into Blades And Are Flung At Mask.  
>Mask Does a DOUBLE TAKE, Then Quickly Evades The Attacks By Stretching His Limbs.<p>

Mask Then Twirls Around And Appears In a "Loonatics" Uniform.  
>The Feather Blades Return, But Mask Blocks Them With His Forearms.<p>

Mask`s Eyes And Hands Then Glow Green.  
>He Releases a Wave Of Energy That Shatters The Blades Into Dust.<p>

"WHAT THE-"

Mask Snickers.

"EMP Blast...  
>If You Went To School, You Would Know Your Nanobots Are Powerless Against An "Electro Magnetic Pulse"...Shuts Them Off For Awhile."<p>

Mask Then Looks At The "Screen"

"I Think That When You Read Fanfiction Online, You Should Learn Something."

Talon Charges After Mask, But Mask Blocks His Attacks.

"AH-AH-AHHH!  
>NOT THIS TIME, BIRD BRAIN!"<p>

Mask Teleports Away...  
>He Then Reappears Behind Talon, Kick Him In The Rear And Teleports Away, Again.<p>

Mask Appears In Front On talon...Who Was On The Ground.

"Kissing The Dirt I Walk On?  
>Well, Sorry Bub...But, Flattering Will Get You NOWHERE With Me."<p>

Mask`s Eyes Glow As a Psyonic Energy Beam Hits Talon...Causing His Body To Go Stiff.  
>Mask Then Makes Talon Slap Himself In The Face Continuously.<p>

"Stop Hitting Yourself, Stop Hitting Yourself, Stop Hitting Yourself..."

As Mask Did This To Talon...The People Watching Began To Cheer (Even The Policia)

Mask then SMirked At talon.

"Well, Talon...Looks Like The People STILL Love Me.  
>And, Even If It Doesn`t Last...WHO CARES!<br>You Can Call Me Obnoxious, Annoying And Even SCREWY...  
>BUT!...You Can NEVER Call Me "Cruel", Unlike SOME PEOPLE I Know."<p>

Mask Tosses Talon Away.  
>He Then Zips Over To Him.<p>

"You Only Caught Me Off Guard LAST TIME!  
>But, This Time...I`m Ready For Ya!"<p>

Mask Takes Out a Cigar And Jams It Into Talon`s Mouth.  
>It Soon Explodes, leaving talon`s Face Covered In Ash And Soot.<p>

Talon Grits His Teeth In Anger.  
>He Then Emits An Electro Wave...Knocking Everyone Away.<p>

Talon Flies Up And Glares At Mask.

"YOU`LL PAY DEARLY FOR THIS, MASK!  
>NO ONE SAYS "NO" TO ME AND LIVES A HAPPY LIFE!...Or Any Life At All."<p>

Talon Flies Away In Anger.  
>Mask Then Gets Up And Returns To His Normal, Zoot Suited Form.<p>

Suarez Then Grabs His Shoulder.

"ALRIGHT, MASKO...Your Coming With-"

Suddenly, a Lareg Crown Of People Surround Suarez.  
>They Glare Angrily At The Policia Chief.<p>

"You Sure You Wanna Arrest Me, Chiefy?  
>Because I`m Pretty Sure These Nice, Fine People May Have Some "Objections".<p>

Suarez Growls As He Released mask.  
>The Civilians Clapped Their Hands And Cheers.<p>

Mask Just Straightened His Coat, Tie And Hat.

"Well...Looks Like My "REP" Is Stable."

Mask Then Whistles Loudly.  
>Seconds Later, His Maskmobile Drives Up.<p>

"Well, Folks...I Would LOVE To Stick Around But, I Have Other Thing To Do, So...CATCH YOU LATER!"

Mask Gets Into His Car And Drives Off.  
>Several People Cheered Loudly As He Drove Off.<p>

Talon Watched The Maskmobile Drive Away From The Top Of a Building.

"alright, christoppher...you`ve made your choice.  
>looks like i need to take "drastic action" to attain your mask."<p>

Talon Spread His Glider Wings And Flew Away.

[Meanwhile]

Zoe Aves Was Sitting On a Bed In The Room She Was Staying In With Her Arms Crossed.

She Was Having Trouble Accepting The Fact That Her Father Was a Murderous Psychopath AND The Fact That Her Mother Had Lied To Her About Her father All Her Life.

Zoe Didn`t Know What To Think, Anymore...  
>It Was Like She Was Robbed Of Her Identity.<p>

She Didn`t Know If She Was An Honorable Thief Like Her family...  
>Or, If Deep Down...She Was a MONSTER Like Her Father Is.<p>

"ohhh...what do i do?"

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The Window Of Zoe`s Room Exploded, Creating a Large Gaping Hole.  
>The Force Of the Blast Knocked Zoe Away And Onto The Floor.<p>

She Looked Up And Saw Talon Hovering Over Her.

"Hello, Sweetie...Daddy`s Home, Don`t I Get a Hug?"

"F-Father..." Said Zoe, More Afraid Than Anything

Talon Tossed a Grenade At Zoe.  
>It Beeped Rapidly, Then Sprayed Out a Green Vapor.<p>

Zoe`s Eyes Soon Got Droopy, Then She Passed Out.  
>Talon Walked Over And Picked The KOed Zoe Up In His Arms.<p>

"let`s go, zoey...your my ticket to POWER."

Talon Then Hovered Upward And Flew Away.

[Later]

Chris Walked Down The Street And Headed Around a Corner Towards His House.

Sadly...Maria Manor Was Surrounded By Policia Squad Cars.

"what the heck?..."

Chris Ran Up To his House.  
>Once Inside, He Saw Carmelita Crying While Policia Troopers Were Asking Questions.<p>

"What`s Going On!"

Maria Walked Up To Chris.

"Chris...Sweetheart.  
>something has...happened."<p>

"What Do You Mean?"

Maria Sighed.

"It`s Zoey...She`s Been Kidnapped."

Chris Was Stunned a Fightened.

"ZOEY!"

Chris Had To Sit Down.

"I`m So Sorry, Mijo...  
>But, Don`t Worry...We`ll Find Her."<p>

Chris Narrowed His Eyes.  
>He Knew Who Took Her...And He Was Determined To Get Her Back.<p>

"talon..." whispered Chris To Himself

"you`ve gone TOO FAR, this time."

Chris Marched Away.  
>He Ran into His Room And Feel Down On His Bed.<p>

Max Walked Over To Chris And Groaned a Bit.

"What Am I Gonna Do!  
>I KNOW Talon Has Her...I Just Don`t Know Where He Is!"<p>

Max Walked Away.  
>a Few Minuted Later, The Little Dog Came Back With a Paper In his Mouth.<p>

"What`s This?"

Chris Took The Paper And Looked At It.

It Was a Letter, Written In Magazine Clippings...

DEAR "GREEN HEAD"

SINCE YOU DENIED MY "GENEROUS" OFFER, YOU FORCED MY HAND!  
>IF YOu EVER WANT TO SEE YOUR GIRLFRIEND ALIVE AGAIN, THEN BRING ME THE MASK!<p>

COME ALONE...NO COPS AND NO TRICKS OR, THE CUERVO`S WINGS WILL BE CLIPPED FOR GOOD!

-TALON

Chris Crumpled Up The Paper In Anger.

"blast you, talon..." Said Cris, Throwing The Paper Ball Away.

Chris Took The Wooden Mask Out Of His Pocket And Looked At It.

He Sighed Deeply.

"hang on, zoey...hang on."


End file.
